On the Small Easel: Seven Orchids
On the Big Easel: Rococo
On this page, I discuss my current projects. Check back frequently; as I make significant progress, new snapshots are added. Photos on this page are not usually staged.
Orchids, started March 6, 2026
A Rococo iris, started July 30, 2024
Page last updated on March 11, 2026
In-progress picture of seven orchids. The white reflective material on the right is glassine, which protects the unfinished work from being smudged by my hand.
The Star of the Show
On the small easel is a drawing of seven orchids. This piece will be offered for sale later this year.
The Supporting Cast
The paper:
- Stonehenge White 250gsm 100% Cotton paper
- The finished drawing will be 8 in. x 10 in.
The pencils:
- Caran d'Ache Luminance
- Caran d'Ache Pablo
- Derwent Lightfast
- Faber-Castell Polychromos
The Production Specifics
Phalaenopsis orchids fascinate me. I have five of them: one I purchased, one was gifted to me… and the other three were rescued from my mom before she loved them to death with overwatering. Their genus name is derived from the Greek words for "moth" (phalaina) and "resembling" (opsis), giving them the nickname "moth orchid". Some countries call them "butterfly orchids", which more accurately reflects their elegant and beautiful nature. Sadly, I don't know the species names of any of mine.
It is true that they are rather finicky flowers, rapidly conveying their likes and dislikes of their care, but with a little TLC their blooms literally last for months. They also have a special connection to me; the offspring that occasionally sprout from the spikes are called keikis (Hawaiian for "baby") which is correctly pronounced "cakey", but is commonly pronounced like my name!
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In-progress picture of my long-term iris project.
This image is in higher resolution than usual to capture more of the details.
The white stripe at the bottom of the photo is a piece of glassine.
The Star of the Show
On the easel is my Rococo iris. This has become a long-term drawing, and it is time to finish it...
The Supporting Cast
The paper:
- Strathmore Toned Gray Mixed Media paper
- The finished drawing will be 15 in. x 18.5 in.
The pencils:
- Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelle
- Caran d'Ache Supracolor II Soft
- Faber-Castell Albrecht Dūrer Watercolor Pencils
The Production Specifics
To be honest, I was shocked when I saw the start date of this piece. It was temporarily set aside in favor of completing other works (which turned out very well for Irish Coffee!!), but now that snow is falling it's time to think spring and get this piece finished!
Fortunately, I had notes of all the pencils I had been using; there are a lot of them. This particular shade of bluish-purple, the yellow of the iris's throat, plus the leaves and buds, mean that there are 55 pencils in active use (plus 20 additional "maybes" on standby) to realistically render all the colors as they play in sunlight and shadow. It's a fun but very time-consuming challenge… just the way I like it!
In the interval between starting this piece and now, I have learned how to utilize watercolour pencils with water - as they are designed to be used - and have modified my techniques to showcase the full spectrum of available colors. Many of them change dramatically when water is applied. I will not rewet a section more than once (it will compromise this paper) and the water-activated layer is always covered by dry pencil. Usually 3 but upwards of 5 layers of color are applied over the base layers to achieve the final image.