It has been a long Winter here in Woodstock, NY.
Just this past weekend the land has been covered in a fresh coat of snow. In times like these it is hard to find the right subject (not to mention the motivation) to keep up my practice of nature drawing. But I have finally took some time to draw these dried milkweed pods which I was admiring a couple of months ago in the Thorn preserve (one of my favorite local parks).
So many botanical illustrations try to capture the bounty of Spring and Summer. I think it is interesting to notice what is left in the Winter. Even in these contorted shapes I find great beauty, After all these are the seeds from which new meadows will start to grow soon.
Here are some of the preparatory sketches and the original samples:
