Pussy Willows Pastel Drawing

 

Use the images provided or go for a walk and draw on to make pastel drawings of Pussy Willows. If you have access to harvest *appropriately (see details below) you may also want to cut a small sample to draw from life or take a photograph to use as source material at home. Remember collecting is not allowed at the Garden, but you may view them and sketch on location if you like.

  1. Using pastel pencils and pastel paper, draw the willow stem and fluffy flower buds you see.

  2. Start with a small study of one flower bud. Closely observe the colors which most likely consist of whites, yellow greens, cream, greys, browns, and possibly purples or maroons. Each bud will be slightly different, and it will depend on the lighting and stage of growth as to what colors you will see.

  3. Blend the colors by overlapping them as you draw to create subtle color changes. Individual flowers lack petals and sepals but consist instead of a bunch of small hairs bunched tightly together.

  4. Next draw the stems which may be created using greens, browns, maroons, white and greys. Notice how parts of the stem may appear lighter or darker, brighter, or duller than other sections. Look for highlights of yellow greens, or shadows of dark browns, purples, and greys.

  5. You may also have some buds that have not opened yet that you can draw using maroons and browns, or small yellow green and brown leaf like shapes on the sides of the stem.

WILLOWS

Alaska has 37 species of willows ranging from tall trees over 3m tall to subshrubs 1-3 cm tall. They are very important as year-round forage for moose, hare and beaver. The term pussy willow refers to the furry flower bud most of them produce. 

The Alaska Botanical Garden has mostly dwarf willow which can be viewed in the Rock Garden and some towards the back of the lawn space. Remember to look with your eyes only as collecting is not allowed at the Garden! Willows can also be seen around town in many locations a few that come to mind are Ship Creek, Sand Lake, and the Coastal Trail or you may see some in your own yard or neighborhood.

*A few notes about appropriate collection of cuttings for personal use: Within the Municipality and even on BLM land within Anchorage, as long as it is not privately owned, you can collect seeds and cuttings for personal use without obtaining a permit.

The general rules to follow when collecting are never to take more than 10% of any one plant (use best judgement if you can see others have harvested this area before you), harvest only what you will/can use, have permission to harvest if it is not on public land, harvest in clean and non-polluted areas, leave no trace or leave the land better than when you found it (i.e. pick up trash).

If taking cuttings, then harvest just below a leave node and try to take them from the back of the plant or where it is less noticeable that you have harvested.