Envelope Of Blooms
An old envelope full of pretty flowers!
Living in Florida, it seems there is something always in bloom and the colors run the gamut from the palest of hues to rich, saturated colors. 
Being outside this Spring, I could not help but notice all the flowers blooming from the tiniest of wildflowers to big, happy and exuberant hibiscus and everything in between.
As I walked the dog, I saw a few plants I would have liked to have growing in my garden, but I had nothing suitable to put the cuttings in. Not long after returning home, I realized I had an envelope in my back pocket. It was then that it dawned on me I could have put the cuttings I'd wanted in this humble vessel to safely transport them home…and a project was born!
My approach to this project is one of joy—to sketch quickly and without concern for accuracy of the actual blooms. This is not meant to be a botanical illustration but rather a capture of the joy that comes from seeing and noticing the many wonderful blooms we encounter as we go about our days.
While many folks will recognize a coneflower and a cosmos along with a few morning glories, others may not be so recognizable and that’s okay. This page is about joy and I assure you, no one has yet said, “Hey, what kind of flower is that?!”
You’ll notice I used ink on the page and that may make you nervous. Don’t let it! Most of the drawing is done in pencil with ink added afterwards. If you’re comfortable, you can jump straight in with ink. If you’re not crazy about ink, no worries. This project works with or with out ink!
Last, but not least, are the splatters we will be adding to the project. They add a lot of energy, but be very careful when adding them to your page to avoid getting paint on yourself, on the pages of your sketchbook or your palette!
Your Instructor
Laure Ferlita is an accomplished watercolorist residing in sunny Florida. Watercolors, nature, travel, painting on location, sketching for the joy of it, and most especially, color, are her passions!
Vibrant color can be found in almost any subject and its shadows. It is her joy to bring those colors to life on paper with some paint and a little water. For many years, Laure worked as a graphic designer, so you will most likely see a strong graphic element in her work.
She started sharing her joy and love of sketching on location over at ImaginaryTrips.com in 2009 and has helped many "travelers" to find their artistic voice since then.
“Watercolor, for me, is the perfect sketching medium." Laure says. “It provides ease of use, quick color saturation, and clean up is a snap and really, you don't need much equipment. After you move past the hype of how difficult watercolor can be, you find out how much fun it is to get out there and actually create on location. It's way too much fun!"
To see more of Laure's work, please visit her blog, Painted Thoughts or her Instagram account at @laure.ferlita.