Don Hyatt's Native Azaleas in Watercolor
Rhododendron prunifolium
Since I've been teaching at Jefferson, I really haven't painted very much.
Just too busy, I guess.
In August of 2001 when one of my native azaleas, Rhododendron
prunifolium, started to bloom, I decided to get out the paint brush and
and see if I could paint its portrait. I am a bit rusty, so it took about
three days from starting sketches to final painting on a rough-textured
French watercolor paper.
I'll try to get a better scan so the colors come out more
accurately one day. On my computer here at Jefferson, the leaves are
a bit too green and the flower should be more coral than
blood red, but it probably looks different on your monitor too.
This native azalea is a
wonderful garden plant, blooming in late July or August in most years, but
sometimes it will still be flowering in September or even later. Originially
discovered in Georgia in 1913, it is still relatively rare but is finally
being offered by some specialty nurseries
now. For more information on this azalea and photographs of plants in
the wild, check out my web page on
Rhododendron prunifolium or the
full site on East Coast Native Azaleas. I have a goal
now to paint all fifteen azaleas native to the eastern United States during
the next year or so. I am ready to paint some more now, but there is not
much in bloom in September.
Rhododendron prunifolium
Copyright © 2001 Donald W. Hyatt
