FERNS'NFINGS!

IDEAS FROM THE GARDEN

ONE OF MY MAIN REASONS FOR MAKING A GARDEN WAS TO HAVE AN ENDLESS SUPPLY OF MATERIAL TO GIVE IDEAS FOR FORM, SURFACE DECORATION AND COLOUR TO MY WORK IN HIGH-FIRED PORCELAIN. 

AUTUMN FERN - DRYOPTERIS ERYTHROSORA

I HAVE BEEN AN AVID GARDENER SINCE I WAS SEVENTEEN. LEARNING ABOUT PLANTS HAS BEEN THE PERFECT COMPLEMENT TO LEARNING ABOUT CLAY AND CERAMIC MATERIALS. 

BLECHNUM SPICANT - 

SORRY, I ONLY KNOW THE BOTANICAL NAME FOR THIS ONE!

THE MORE ONE KNOWS ABOUT THINGS, THE EASIER IT BECOMES TO INTERPRET THEIR FORMS AND COLOURS. I HAPPEN TO BE SOMEWHAT MYOPIC AND INTENSE WHEN I TAKE ON AN INTEREST, LEARNING EVERYTHING  I CAN ABOUT WHATEVER SUBJECT CURRENTLY EXCITES ME.  

LADY FERN - FELIX FEMINA

I USUALLY DECIDE QUICKLY WHICH TOOLS ARE THE MOST APPROPRIATE TO INTERPRET THE SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS AND QUALITIES OF THE PLANT. MY FAVOURITES ARE A VARIETY OF BRUSHES, PENCILS, PENS AND TRAILERS FOR LIQUID GLAZE LINE DRAWINGS.

HART'S TONGUE FERN - SCOLOPENDRIUM

DECIDING ON GLAZE TYPE AND COLOUR PALETTE COMES NEXT. THE BULK OF VEGETATION COLOURS IS MAINLY ACHIEVED USING MIXED CHROMIUM DIOXIDE AND YELLOW STAINS USING PRASEODYMIUM.

MAIDENHAIR FERN - ADIANTUM ALEUTICUM         


IN MY NEXT POSTING, I WILL TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT                                                                                   TYPES OF BRUSHES AND WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH THEM.

 

OAK FERN

THE SHAPES OF FERN LEAVES ARE MOST OFTEN LIKE A BLADE OR TRIANGULAR FORM MADE UP FROM REPEATING, SIMILAR BUT SMALLER  UNITS.  SOME MAY BE LIKE STRAPS OR HAVE TINY, SEPARATED LEAVES. THE MAJORITY ARE VARIOUS SHADES OF GREEN.

JAPANESE PAINTED FERN - ATHYRIUM ITALICUM PICTUM

FERNS COME IN A RANGE OF SIZES FROM TINY TO LARGE. A FEW HAVE VIVID COLOURS AND PATTERNS. MOST CAN EASILY BE INTERPRETED WITH SIMPLE BRUSHSTROKES.

ROYAL FERN - OSMUNDA REGALIS

OTHER THAN THE DICKSONIA TREE FERNS THAT ARE NATIVE TO NEW ZEALAND AND NOT HARDY IN OUR GARDEN, THE BIGGEST FERN WE CAN GROW IS THE ROYAL FERN IT GROWS TO ABOUT TWO METERS IN FAVOURABLE CONDITIONS. 

WALLICH'S FERN - DRYOPTERIS WALLICHIANA 

WALLICH'S FERN IS NATIVE TO THAILAND AND BHUTAN. THE MAIN STEM IS HAIRY OR SCALY DARK CHOCOLATE BROWN. AS IT MATURES THE LEAVES BECOME MORE AND MORE YELLOW-GREEN. IT GROWS TO A LITTLE OVER A METER IN HEIGHT. IT IS MY FAVOURITE FERN FROM THE TEMPERATE ZONES OF THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE. 

I ALSO LOVE THE FERN FAMILY FROM THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE CAN'T GROW THEM HERE EXCEPT IN A GREENHOUSE OR CONSERVATORY.

I GET IDEAS FROM A GREAT NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PLANTS IN OUR GARDEN. OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS I WILL INCLUDE IMAGES OF LATE SUMMER AND EARLY FALL SEASON PLANTS. THERE IS AN ALMOST ENDLESS ARRAY OF POTENTIAL MATERIAL. IMAGINE HOW YOU WOULD INTERPRET THESE WONDERFUL PLANTS INTO YOUR ARTWORK.

SEE YOU NEXT TIME.