I've made a couple of trips to the Lan Su Chinese Garden this month. It's such a peaceful and idyllic spot with meandering paths, ancient stones, lovely plants and flowers, places for contemplation, and the gentle sound of flowing water. I never get tired of coming here, but I sometimes run out of time. The final details on this sketch were added at home at our front table.
I drew the boat in the lily pond, but went back another time to get a better view of the lilies.
How do you sketch the scent of gardenias?
I drew the side of the teahouse from a quiet, shady corner outside. A musician stopped to look at my sketch and soon afterward I heard his music coming through the open window.
Later, I decided that the sketch needed at least some color that surrounded it.
How do you sketch the sounds from a lute?
Finally, for this one, I sketched a pavilion and rooftops from inside another. pavilion.
As I sketched this, a Chinese American visitor from Seattle told me that this garden applied the feng shui principles of a traditional Chinese Garden. His two little daughters were busy taking photos and watching the koi. I should have sketched them, too!
