The title refers to the Venus Fly Trap, one of the most amazing plants on earth. It is endemic to, that is, only found in, the nutrient-deprived savannah or pocosin [poe ko sin] habitat in coastal Carolina near the mouth of the Cape Fear River. The painting depicts many of the other weird and unique carnivorous plants found in the area, including three types of pitcher plants, butterworts, sundews, and five types of orchids.
Orchids in the Landscape: This is one of a series of paintings of orchids growing in their natural habitat. Through the years, I've experimented with many different types of background, but placing the plants in their natural habitat, although time-consuming, has produced the most satisfying results. The Green Swamp in North Carolina is home to a host of unique plants including terrestrial orchids. Showing an orchid's place among a myriad of other unique plants reminds us again that orchids are just one of many amazing plants in a rapidly shrinking natural world.
The Parvisepalums are some of the most sought after Paphiopedilums. In this painting, these magnificent flowers are shown with their intricately patterned plants in a natural setting of limestone outcrops.
The Parvisepalum Paphiopedilums are the Asian version of our own Lady Slipper Orchids. The scene includes Paphiopedilum malipoense, Paphiopedilum micranthum, Paphiopedilum jackii, Paphiopedilum delenatii, Paphiopedilum emersonii and Paphiopedilum armeniacum.
This charming orchid species from South America is always a wonder to watch as it bursts into bloom. Captured in a naturalistic setting among the mists of the mountains, these pink-tipped flowers with lemon-yellow lips erupt from the masses of pseudo-bulbs and leaves.
Original watercolor painting of the equitant oncidium(tolumnia) orchid hybrid cross Native Dancer.
This was a wonderful flowering of a beautiful equitant oncidium cross, Native Dancer, that we got from Anita Aldrich. The pure white flowers dance in the breeze on a cobalt blue sky. The frilly dress-like labellum adds to the illusion of twirling dancers.
Equitants have always reminded me of bromeliads with their mass of tiny succulent leaves. There is a beautiful symmetry in their triangular shape that reminds me of the symmetry in pineapples. It always amazes me to see such huge heads of flowers on the miniature epiphytic plants.
There aren't many true red flowers in the orchid kingdom, but this diminutive plant sure packs a big color-punch. The red ruffled skirts look like flaming flamenco dancers.
Original Watercolor painting of a golden phalaenopsis orchid hybrid cross, (Hausermann's Goldcup x violacea).
It never ceases to amaze me; the range of colors that an artist or plant can produce with a very limited amount of pigments on their palette. This flower uses just yellow and magenta to produce golds, reds and cool pinks. It's so much fun, with watercolor, to glaze different colors over each other to mix the desired color in the eye instead of on the palette.
Oil painters use big tubes of white. If orchids were painters they would have big tubes of yellow and magenta. Those pigments are their "Primary Colors".
Original watercolor painting of the Asian Lady Slipper orchid species Paphiopedilum fairrieanum.
Shown growing in its native habitat on limestone outcrops in Bhutan. To me, it is the most feminine of orchids, with its delicate ruffled edges and sensual curves.
Original Watercolor painting of the orchid species commonly known as the Flute-Players Orchid because of it's long, hollow pseudo-bulbs.
The orchid world offers flowers in just about every shape and color, but the unusual form and markings of this species make it the center of attention in any room. In life, the flowers waft in the breeze at the end of an eight-foot inflorescence that reaches toward the sun.
Watercolor painting of the reed-stem orchid species Epidendrum schomburgkia.
'Startling' is the first impression of this luscious orchid with its bright orange flowers at the end of twisted stems. Despite relatively small flowers, the sheer mass of them all together attracts both pollinating insects in the wild and human attention in a more domestic setting.
Original Watercolor painting of an unidentified Schomburgkia orchid species
When I first saw this head of glossy chocolate-red twisty-curvy schomburgkias, I simply HAD to paint it.
I soon realized how crazy I was to take on a challenge of this scope.
But still I painted on.For hours and hours, and days and days I kept telling myself "Just STOP!, You'll NEVER finish it."
But still I painted on.
I found myself hoping against hope that the flowers would simply shrivel up and dry....
But NO...they stayed as fresh as the day they opened.
And still I painted on.
and then...
one day...
it was done.
Original Not For Sale
Original Watercolor painting of the orchid species, Bulbophyllum fascinator.
To some people, this group of orchids, with their dark colors, dangling protrusions, and questionable aromas don't belong in a decent greenhouse. To others, they are the height of evolution, attracting their unwitting pollinators with the sight and scent of stringy decay.
Fine art print of the original watercolor painting of the Asian lady slipper, Paphiopedilum callosum.
Painted in the traditional botanical method with a white paper background, this lithograph captures all the tiny details in the original work from the fuzzy stem to the hairy warts on the petals and the delicate veins of color in the flower itself.
Who isn't fascinated by this amazing flower. Named for the long white "eyelashes", or cilia, on the lip, this delicate green orchid is sweetly night-fragrant and pollinated by moths.