Leaves of Pacific Northwest Natives

This is my Assignment 3 from the Society of Botanical Artists course that I am currently taking. The assignment was to paint eight different leaves, two of which should be colored (other than green) and one should be of a monocotyledon. I found the assignment very challenging but learned a lot. I have a new appreciation for the complexity of leaves!  I went with a theme of the early spring leaves of plants native to the Pacific Northwest where I live.

Here are the names of the plants from the top left, clockwise: Mahonia repens (Low Oregon Grape), Sedum oreganum (Oregon Stonecrop), Penstemon serrulatus (Cascade Penstemon), Maianthemum dilatatum (False Lily of the Valley), Vaccinium ovatum (Evergreen Huckleberry), Tolmiea menziesii (Piggy-back Plant), Veratrum californicum (California Corn Lily), and Oxalis oregana (Oregon Oxalis).

The Mahonia repens is transitioning from its bright red winter color to green spring and summer color.  The new growth on the Sedum is flushed with red and the Vaccinium with orange.  The Tolmiea has tiny hairs that emerge out of small divots in the leaf.  The hairs can only be seen at a certain angle.  They are visible in the original painting but may not be here.  I have close-ups of each leaf on flickr if you are interested.