Santa Fe Watercolor: Red Congo Philodendron

"Drinking the light
She grew more lovely every day
Her beauty filled the space"

Have you ever had the experience of buying a plant, bringing it home, and placing it the perfect location in the perfect pot?  It is exhilarating to me!  When we travelled recently to visit our friends in Santa Fe, New Mexico we wanted to buy a gift for our hosts.  Originally I wanted to buy flowers, but I couldn't find anything that excited me.  We stopped by a plant nursery and found this "Red Congo" philodendron.  I wasn't sure about it in the store.  But we purchased the philodendron and headed back to the house.

When we arrived, we placed it in a beautiful, thick crock that had been empty on the back porch and then headed out to dinner.  Later, I was walking to the kitchen and saw it through the window.  I stopped walking because I was struck by its perfection in that spot.  The bi-colored leaves and character of the plant seemed to call out to me to notice how incredibly lovely they were.  In that moment, I knew I wanted to do a watercolor painting of the whole scene.

"A beautiful plant is like having a friend around the house." — Beth Ditto

When I got home I Photoshopped several photos together to fit the beams and floor into the picture.  I also made the plant a little larger as I wanted to imagine what it would look like once it filled the space.  Below is a time lapse video of me painting the philodendron in her new home.

Music by moodmode-studio from Pixabay 
(Fun fact: I originally had piano music for this video, but the leaves on the plant looked like snake heads to me.  So I searched for snake charmer music and ended up with this awesome song!)

"The 'Red Congo' is more than just a plant; it's a symbol of life's interconnectedness. As you care for it, you're reminded of your place in the larger ecosystem and the importance of nurturing relationships, not just with plants but with people and the environment." —Source: Greg

This quote reminded me that I would like to thank our hosts for many years of lovely visits to Santa Fe. The homemade bagels, delicious meals, and cozy chats in the library are so appreciated.  It feels like home and we feel the love every time we go.

I ordered these notecards with the watercolor scene and they arrived yesterday.  I am going to send them on to our friends.

I have been taking a break from doing any large art projects this year.  But painting this scene (and our entryway) has been so enjoyable to me.  I was thinking about why I like it so much and it is a combination of things.  I like being open to being struck by beauty.  It happens quite often and I am not able to paint everything that strikes me that way.  I have enough inspiration to last me a lifetime.  But every so often, it's like an object or a scene calls out and demands to be painted....like they want to "be seen" in all their splendor.  I am like a "receiver" and when I come across said beauty it feels like a specific call to my heart.  It's like the universe asks, "What does Vanessa love?"  It seems to know how to capture my attention.  And I love "the seeing" and "the finding."  When that connection is made between the object and my attention it feels like that moment when two magnets connect... there is a strong pull and that magic moment when they touch.  Once that happens, I feel like it is my task to attempt to re-create the object or scene...to show the world this marvel.  Making art is a way of being intimate with the world...a way of being close and spending time with beauty.  It is presence, joy and love incarnate.  I feel so fortunate to be able to live a life of listening... and even more lucky to attempt to answer its call.     

"What will the sketcher see?
His eye is accustomed to search into the cause of beauty,
and penetrate the minutest parts of loveliness."
—John Ruskin