Berkeley Rose Garden

When my plein air group met at the Berkeley Rose Garden last Saturday I arrived even later than usual: at noon, only an hour before the session was to end. I found a spot to sit and quickly sketched and painted the complicated, terraced rose garden, finishing just in time for the 1:00 critique.

After the critique I took some photos of the roses that most intrigued me, while guys set up white chairs for a wedding there later in the day. Once home I made a grid in my journal, and displaying the photos on my monitor, tried to understand their design and draw them.

I’ve bound my next journal and named it “Rosie” and want to decorate her with a rose design so this was practice for the rose I’ll draw on the cover. I’ve finished my journal “Froggie” but still have a bunch more pages to post.

I’ve updated my blog template. What do you think of the new design?

Tags Art, Bay Area Parks, Berkeley, Drawing, Flower Art, flowers, Ink and watercolor wash, Landscape, Pen and Ink, Plein Air, Rose, roses, Sketchbook Pages, Watercolor

14 replies on “Berkeley Rose Garden”

I never promised you a rose garden…. Lovely depiction of roses, the way they enclose right to the centre. It must be the beginning of summer for you, but here it’s winter – about 13 degrees and the bones are aching!
Wendy

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You went to one of my favorite spots to sketch! I do enjoy that rose garden so much but find those terraces difficult to sketch.

The new template looks great-I certainly appreciate the larger print:)

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You are the Rose Queen, Jana. I just noticed the art on the header of your blog – like it lots!

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I love the new look blog – very girly but fun too. Everything’s coming up roses – and these sketches are delightful. x

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That looks like a complicated scene to sketch but you did it well. I like the grid and the rose practice, too! Interesting header! A winner all around with this post!

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There’s something about the rose grid picture that’s atavar-ish. I can see Jana making the empty grid, naming it, and then the roses just appearing. It makes me think of Jorge Borges’ Tlon, that alternate world where you have to think of a thing before it exists. Kind of like supper at my house. Anyway, this picture is so striking, and would make, say, a good cover for a book of poems called “The Rose Grid”.

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I love your new template. Your is one of the most special blogs I’ve read. It is an art lover’s delight! Love your header! Thanks.

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Lovely new page, Jana! And your grid of roses is particularly good. I could probably even name some of those. Well, certainly from style, if not name!
http://moreidlethoughts.wordpress.com

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I thought it looked different in here! Love the new look! Amazing that you did that complicated scene in an hour! Great job! Can’t wait to see what “Rosie” brings us!

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Paul and I got married in the Berkeley Rose Garden 21 years ago this August. When I look at your roses, I hear hammer dulcimer playing as I walk down those stone steps through the trellised roses on my 12 year old son’s arm.

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