Tag: Creating
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De-stress Naturally: A Path of Meditation and Self-expression
Article by Wendy Hollender, featured by the American Institute of Stress in their magazine, Contentment (Volume 12, Number 1, Spring 2023). View this magazine issue as pages or spreads. I have been taking my cue from plants for 25 years now. Before the advent of cameras, botanical illustrations were the only method to … Continued
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Nature Journaling is Love
Your nature journal is a love letter to the universe. Plants turn sunlight into sugar and magically create the air we breathe. We could literally not exist without them! They deserve our gratitude and love. To show someone that we love them, we give our focused attention. We spend intentional time together, laughing, crying, … Continued
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How To Draw a Tulip in 12 Easy Steps
Scroll through this post for many techniques and step-by-step instructions you can try to improve your tulip drawings. Flowers are notoriously tricky subjects to capture realistically because of their curling petals, tiny reproductive parts, and short life spans. If you feel like flowers are too difficult to draw or too complex for you to … Continued
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Advantages of Taking a Botanical Illustration Course Online
Nature is our greatest teacher, whether we strive for scientific accuracy as professional botanical illustrators, enjoy creating for the beauty of decoration, or are curious and creative nature admirers who find relaxation in capturing nature’s magnificence. While many great artists are self-taught, learning from talented teachers of botanical illustration is the best way … Continued
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Don't be afraid to be "wrong"
We’re allowed to make mistakes When we are first learning how to be human, we’re allowed to make mistakes. (No one expects a 2 year old’s finger painting to be magnificent enough to deserve an exhibition!) We know that beginners won’t be perfect from the start, so we hold low expectations for their … Continued
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Quiet Your Inner Critic
Sometimes the hardest part of the creative process is getting started. We have so many other things to do, and our fears subconsciously influence our quick decision-making. If you focus on JOY and don’t worry about results, you will always be in a good place. Immersing yourself in a study of nature’s beauty … Continued
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Creating Compositions: Holiday Cards
Using the art skills learned throughout our course, The Practice of Botanical Drawing, create a finished composition suitable for printing on holiday or harvest greeting cards to send to your friends and family. To create a finished seasonal drawing, focus on complex compositions and seasonal color combinations. A complex composition of a … Continued
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How YOU CAN Monetize Your Botanical Art
If you love botanical art (like I do!) and want to make money doing what you love, then this is the post for YOU! Keep reading for tips on commercial products, product photography, and how to sell and ship your own products. Create Original Botanical Artwork Nature is full of wild inspiration! Start … Continued
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Plant Families: Sneak Peek at Wendy’s Newest Compositions
The more I draw botanicals, the more I learn about plants, and the more I learn about plants, the more I love botanical drawing! I hope you feel the same endless cycle of joy 🙂 Drawing plants is a delightful opportunity to get to know them closely and detect repeated patterns. A pattern that … Continued
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The Practice of Botanical Drawing: Ideas for Expanding Lessons
Botanical Drawing Lessons are a guide to build on. Expand each lesson with new and different subjects! Watch this Video. Get advice from Wendy. We know that masters aren’t made overnight, and that consistent practice is the key to success. Think of my books as a template. I show you one lesson with one subject, … Continued