After twice starting and wiping off an oil painting of these Gerbera daisies, I switched to studies in ink and watercolor to understand them better. The sketch above is my 4th attempt and below are all four sketches in reverse order.
While I adore botanical illustration, that wasn’t what I was going for here (obviously). I just wanted to figure out how these things are made, and then paint them in a way that displayed their gesture and personality. But the daisies demurely hid their secrets from me.
By the time I’d done these sketches (and the two failed oils) my painting time was up and the daisies didn’t look worth painting the next day. I will come back to Gerbera daisies again and see if next time they’ll let me in on their secrets and show me how to paint them.
Jana Bouc, Artist 
7 replies on “Duped by These Darned Daisies”
I know what you’re saying but these are lovely. It was interesting reading your notes, I’m so glad you include those. I think the flowers themselves are gorgeous, especially #4, but I also liked details like the top of the vase and where the stems enter the water like in #2. Simple but interesting. I love getting a glimpse at your process!
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I think your flowers are lovely… I’ve tried to sketch flowers (I’m a member of our local Phoenix Botanical Garden) but my skills are such that they never look that much like the plant I’m sketching…
Eric
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Oh dear, how frustrating. I like #3 & 4.
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I enjoy the looseness of #4… specifically the quality of the light reflection on the petals of the daisies, the details on the leaves (particularly the leaf flipping over the top edge of the vase), and wisps of the flower stems hanging mid-air. Including the vase completes the picture. You did such a crisp job on the bottom of the vase. I love how you include your notes and thinking!
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Hi Jana, You can hardly go wrong with your finished ink and watercolored drawings/paintings for me as I love your originality that shines through each time. I just finished an oil of flowers in a clay pot and it is all right to me, but to some others they see it as simply wonderful and these are critics who speak their minds truly. Just to say , as you know, we do not at times “see” our work until some time later and even then our own opinion might not change. Lovely Gerberas!!
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R e l a x Jana! You’re tooooo tense— these are lovely– all of them!!!!
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Thanks for sharing your frustrations, which are universal. At first glance #3 looked the most true to the flower. But you have great elements in all of them. Keep us updated!
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