Mandevilla Mornings
In the summer, my sister and mother have gardens around their porches. They set out sizable planters with mandevilla, rosemary, and grasses. I’ve spent many mornings at their homes watching the morning light hit and the wind blow through them.
I’ve been drawing these flowering mandevilla vines, and they capture my attention with showy blooms and endless roping. I consider the trellis they grow upon, and how they depend on that structure within to pop their florals to the sun.
First sketches and tracing the drawing onto Yupo.
Caught, 2024
watercolor on yupo
One day, I realized the metaphor of inner strength that the trellis could represent, and I started sketching figures within the plants to take their place. Sometimes twisted and bound inside, they create the necessary base for blossoms to thrive.
Sometimes I get caught up in everything and feel the need to untangle myself, and it isn’t always possible without breaking a few ties. But it always feels important to balance pruning for future blooms and letting the vines take over for a while.
Grown, 2024
watercolor on yupo
