Cape Primrose

This plant variety is brand new to me, so it is extra fun to explore it's form in ink and watercolor.  A cousin to an African violet, streptocarpus is a showy bloomer.  It's rich, velvety blooms are trumpet shaped, spreading out from central stems. I need to mass the blooms a little more, instead of delineating every bloom.  I guess I'm a little too "in my head" with the newness of it all!  My favorite grandmother grew African violets when she was young, so I guess this is my gateway bloom!  Painting number 3316 in 3316 days. 

Cape Primrose and Strawflowers

I love growing everything, so when I find a plant variety that I don't have, I simply must bring them home with me.  Drawn in by the strawflowers, the velvety purple streptocarpus called to me from the next table.  I've never seen these flowers before, but they are a cousin of African violets.  They should bloom nearly all the time, according to their gardener, so I am trying them!  My Grandma Frank used to grow African violets, and was even in a club.  With ink, I sketched out my flowers, adding watercolor.  I went back in with a little more ink before moving on to another painting.  Love getting to paint at Family Tree Nursery in Overland Park!  Painting number 3312 in 3312 days, and day 26 #stradaeasel challenge.