Sweet River Studios

I decided to try my hand and making some topiary arrangements using sempervivums and succulents this year. I wanted to make a topiary (or a few) and maybe a large pot arrangement. I don't have any sempervivums (hens and chicks) or succulents and I find our greenhouses around here don't really carry all that much or much of a variety. So I decided I would order them, but first a few definitions. Sempervivum is the genus of about 40 different plants that means "lives forever." Sempervivum's are a perennial succulent that leaves form rosettes. Mature rosettes then produce offshoot plants. Most people know the term "hens and chicks" because of the little baby plants that are produced next to the larger plant. Usually around 3 years old, the plant will flower then die. Sempervivum's like to grow in hot, dry climates and prefer soil that drains (sandy/rocky) and can tolerate frost and low temperatures. These plants are called "hardy" while se...

This portrait of a baby leatherback turtle was really quite easy to get done. I guess because there's not that many colors.  Painting wet sand is not fun either. I had to use a dark brown with yellow and a darker brown. I applied the white and gray for the turtle first then added the yellow/brown for the sand. I then darkened the turtle with black and added some highlights with white.  I used white to add water reflections in the wet sand and that was pretty much it. Not the greatest painting I've done but not bad either.