California Aster

Claire and I have been finding these down the path to the ravine across from our house. She likes to clip the sprays and take them home to put in water. I finally figured out the name of this little wildflower. It's an aster, from ancient Greek meaning "star". The butterflies love these, and I have to admit I'm rather partial to the periwinkle blue/purple color too!

Done with watercolor pencil. I'm enjoying doing these botanical illustrations, and having an actual specimen in front of me is so different from drawing and painting from photo references, which is what I do most of the time for paintings (if I need a reference). It's an exercise to my brain to match not just what colors will work for a composition, but what I see in front of me.