STORY BEHIND THE ART OF ROSEMARY DONNELLY
16th Annual International
American Society of Botanical Artists and the Horticultural Society of New York
Japanese Pumpkin
Curcurbita moschata
Rosemary Donnelly said “My father grew butternut pumpkins for 40 years. One year, I asked him to grow Japanese pumpkins as they are my favourite to cook with and he had a fantastic crop, about 30 of them. I chose this one half grown, because it was so beautiful. The rest of the crop were harvested but most rotted before we could eat them, yet surprisingly the one I painted lasted on my table for a year! I am not sure why the crop failed to store well, maybe because they needed more warmth. We are in the southernmost part of Australia, in Victoria, and I think they do better in the north.”
This is a green pumpkin, green even when ripe, and then it turns blue. It is grown in Australia and New Zealand and many other countries, including Japan, South Africa and the southern United States. In Australia, it is called a Japanese pumpkin and it is also known as Kabocha in parts of America. It appealed to Rosemary because the outer shape is fluted or segmented, with bands all around, and each one has lovely gold colored patterns down the ridges, and the skin is finely speckled as well. She says this pumpkin makes a good soup and it roasts beautifully, favored for its sweetness and pleasing texture. And she has discovered that in some cultures, it is revered as an aphrodisiac!
In terms of composition, she notes “it is JUST a pumpkin!” She wanted to capture the heavy, solid object, and also its light bloom, so that the viewer feels it will rub off if they touch it. And she wanted to create an illusion of depth, that 3D result.
She used Fabriano 640 gsm paper, which is very thick, because she did many washes. She likes using transparent paint where possible, so that a layered effect creates a very translucent glowing result. She paints up to 50 tea washes, each a different color (paint with the consistency/thinness of tea). The washes help to develop the effect of roundness. She likes to wait up to a day between each wash, so that she doesn’t get a muddy result. She does a balancing act between the previous color and what she thinks the next color should be. She doesn’t analyze what’s gone into a color, but says it’s quite instinctive. “I love putting all manner of shades to arrive at a color. I am mad about color and light and I adore watercolor!” With this technique, it takes her a long time to finish a painting and she may work on more than one at a time. After the washes, she uses a dry brush technique to achieve texture. She would like to acknowledge John Pastoriza-Pinol who has developed this method and had a huge influence on her work.
She paints every day and always listens to classical music when she paints. “I get in a zone, half listening to the music. That allows me to not overanalyze what I am doing, and frees me up to be more spontaneous.” She also enjoys classes at the Geelong Botanic Gardens, because the Gardens are inspirational and because people help each other in the class. “You can look at your own work so long that you can’t see anymore what is needed.”
This particular painting relates strongly to her body of work. “As a child, I grew up loving to be out in the garden with my father. His vegetable patch helped develop my interest in color and has inspired my painting. I am attracted by the colors and voluptuous shapes of fruits and vegetables, and also by the different textures of leaves and branches.”
Next Story
Back to List