Sara Boccaccini Meadows - Paint and Frame: Botanical Painting: Nearly 20 Inspired Projects to Paint and Frame Instantly

For most people, the most challenging part of a creative journey is the start.

My name is Sara Boccaccini Meadows, and Im a textile designer and illustrator living in New York City. I am often asked by aspiring illustrators for advice, and I hope this book can offer a good starting point for anybody interested in starting to draw and paint.

I love creating and developing my artwork and would like to share some of my processes with you so that you, too, can create beautiful illustrations. I try to develop my illustrations in an organic manner, taking influences from the surrounding environment. As youll see from this book, my inspiration varies from my local botanical garden to far-off mountain peaks. Whatever the subject matter, it is my attention to fine details that defines my style.

So much of the artistic process is about experimenting, working with imperfections, and discovering new techniques by accident. Everyones work is uniquevariety in style is exactly what makes painting such an interesting and enticing practice.

I grew up in the English village of Hathersage, nestled in the Hope Valley of the Peak District in the north of England. The area is a glorious landscape of ancient stone villages, wild moorland, dramatic gritstone edges, and limestone valleys with crystal-clear rivers flowing through them. It was from hiking through this beautiful countryside that I developed a love and respect for nature and the outdoors, which has become the focus of much of my work. The painting is my tribute to the flowers of my home.

There is no clear path to a job in the creative field. My journey to get herelike that of many of my peershas been winding. I studied printed textiles and surface-pattern design at Leeds College of Art and Design in Yorkshire, England. Following that, I did many internships in art and fashion studios to gain experience, all while working as a waitress and nanny to support myself. I then moved to South Korea for a year to teach English in a kindergarten school before landing a job as a textile designer in Sydney, Australia. During that time, I further developed my painting and illustrating skills. While on the other side of the world, I took the opportunity to explore some of the Far East, studying textiles and the rich cultural backgrounds.

My interest in fashion and textiles fueled a desire to work in New York City, the center of the fashion industry. My initial move to the US was to Los Angeles, from which I explored some of the national parks, such as Yosemite, Joshua Tree, and Big Sur, in search of inspiration. I then made the leap to New York and have never looked back.

After giving birth to my little girl in 2014, I started to paint as a way to relax during the evenings while she slept. I documented my process on Instagram and Tumblr. Via social media, I was able to share my work with a wide audience andto my pleasure and surprisemy following grew. Ive now received many projects and opportunities through people seeing my work on these platforms. My daughter has been a huge inspiration, and I often draw little animals and houses for her. She loves to see what Ive painted and enjoys creating her own pictures to show me.

I spend many days sketching in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, exploring woodlands, and walking on seashores and riverbanks. I create opportunities to go to the Catskills and Adirondacks upstate, or to travel to unusual places in search of inspiration. It can be hard to know where to start on a new project, but I find collecting ideas from the natural world, focusing on the beautiful, tiny details, helps me with the creative process. I always carry several little sketchbooks and will disappear into them for hours when the opportunity arises. These provide a library of ideas to develop into prints or larger pieces of art, and also act as an archive of my work.

Im not a photo-realistic painter, and I never thought I was that professional until I realized that things dont have to be perfect. Giving something character or an interesting twist is all part of illustrating, and many clients are looking for that different take to capture the individuality. I hope this book inspires you to start creating, look closely at the world around you, and develop your own unique style.

You dont need to spend a fortune on tools, but it does help if you have quality brushes and paints to start with. If youre a beginner and dont want to spend a fortune on paint, then there are lots of options for a more affordable palette. For each project of this book, Ive included a specific list of materials, but dont worry if you dont have everything on the list. You can create beautiful artwork with only a watercolor set and brush. Match the colors as best you can or create your own color palette. My advice is to start with basic watercolor paint and brushes and build up your collection as you progress. Here are some of my favorite supplies.

PAINT

Watercolor set (you can find reasonably priced options for approximately $5 (US currency) at your local art supply store, but I love the shiny finish and rich colors of the twelve-color Japanese watercolor set by Gansai Tambi

Van Gogh watercolor paint

Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolor paint

Holbein Acryla gouache

BRUSHES, PENS, AND PENCILS

Sakura Pigma Micron pens

Sharpie Fine Point markers

Prismacolor pens

Staedtler HB pencils

Princeton watercolor paint brushes

SUPPLIES

Waterpot to wash brushes between each color change (I like using a jam jar.)

Palette for mixing (I like using an old plate.)

Pencil case for carrying pens, pencils, and paints

Fluid 100 Watercolor paper, 5 x 7 inches (12.5 x 18 cm), 300 gsm

Stillman and Birn archival sketchbook, Zeta series, 270 gsm (I love that these sketchbooks hold watercolor and gouache, and are made in handy little pocket sizes.)

Traveling is a huge part of my process for collecting new ideas and inspirations. So, my tools and canvas tend to be rather compact: I usually have a watercolor palette, pencil case and sketchbook in my bag or pocket wherever I go. You will notice that I mix watercolor with gouache in many of my projects. I find that gouache has a much chalkier texture and is more opaque than watercolor. Its fun to mix these paints by layering the gouache on top of watercolor once its dry.