Story behind the art of Donnett Vanek

27th Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists and the Society of Illustrators

Prickly Poppy

Argemone munita

I am walking along a dry rocky trail. Tall bushes covered in large crinkly white flowers dot the landscape. The beautiful flowers flutter in the breeze and look like crepe paper flowers. The blossoms measure up to three inches across. In the center of the stark white blossom is a dark pistil, surrounded by a dense ring of many yellow or orange pollen-bearing stamens. Walking closer to peer at the gorgeous flowers, I notice large thorns growing from the stems, leaves, and buds. This plant is the aptly named Argemone munita. Also known by the common names of prickly poppy and chicalote poppy, it is native to California. Prickly poppy is widespread throughout the western part of the state and in the eastern deserts. 

Munita means armed. The plant defends itself with sharp stiff spines radiating from tall bluish-green stems, seed pods, buds, and the undersides of the deeply lobed leaves. To add to its defense, the prickly poppy exudes a yellow-orange toxic sap when a stem breaks or an insect bites the plant. Herbivores and insects heed this warning.

Where land has been over-grazed, resilient prickly poppies grow in abundance. They reach three to five feet tall with long taproots seeking groundwater. Prickly poppies are “fire followers” and are often some of the first plants to grow after devastating wildfires. In juxtaposition to the thorns and spines is the exquisite blossom, a beacon to many pollinators. Large carpenter bees, smaller native bees, honeybees, flower beetles, ants, and flower flies all stop to gather pollen and move on to the next flower. 

I decided Argemone munita would be the subject of my next drawing. After sketching a composition I was happy with, I had to choose my medium. I considered working in graphite, my favorite medium. Recently, I have been exploring the medium of metalpoint, specifically, silverpoint. Silverpoint is a traditional technique mastered by medieval and Renaissance artists. Although it is hard to imagine a time without pencils, silverpoint is the precursor to the modern graphite pencil. I felt silverpoint would be the perfect medium to depict Argemone munita.

The tool an artist uses in the silverpoint technique is a stylus that holds a silver wire. Various supports may be used, such as paper, parchment, and wood. The support I used was hot pressed watercolor paper. The support must be covered with ground. The ground is necessary because silverpoint needs a surface with “tooth” to leave a mark. Several traditional recipes exist for artists interested in making ground. I like to use “Traditional Silverpoint Ground” from Rublev Colours available at Natural Pigments. https://www.naturalpigments.com/traditional-silverpoint-ground.html

I applied four ground layers to the paper, and to give the paper “tooth,” I lightly sanded the last layer with a fine sandpaper. Silverpoint does not erase. Drawing with silverpoint is like drawing with a hard graphite pencil. Pressing harder with the stylus does not leave a darker mark. Layering thin lines and cross-hatching are techniques I use to develop darks in my drawing. Silverpoint is a subtle medium that will patina or oxidize over time. 

I decided to include two pollinators in my silverpoint drawing. A bee collects pollen from the large blossom. A flower fly negotiates the thorny stems. I portrayed the insects in drybrush watercolor and used shell gold on their bodies. To highlight the stamens that are loaded with pollen, I also applied shell gold, a contrast to the subtle silverpoint used for the flower and stems.

For an interesting composition, I added movement in the flower petals. The composition of the leaves, buds, and stems directs the viewer's eye into and around the composition, bringing the viewer to the focal point of my work, the blossom.

I will continue my exploration of silverpoint and my journey through the intriguing natural world of plants.

Next Story

Back to List

Read more about this artist's work: Curious Allies