tropical – Ella's Place

Posted on June 3, 2016June 14, 2016 by ellajohnston12

Plant of the fortnight: Hibiscus

An opulent bloom, the Hibiscus is a very hardy, versatile plant and thrives in tropical conditions. It is a member of the Malvaceae family and the name is Latin for marshmallow.

The flower is very showy and gregarious and as such it attracts butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.

This is actually the last plant of the fortnight post. After a year working on the blog I’ve given it a review and have decided on a few changes. Instead of bird/plant of the fortnight, I’ll be doing one ‘Drawing of the week’ post every Tuesday. So you’ll still get your illustration fix.

In keeping with my tropical mood next week I will be showcasing several drawings of the Green-headed Tanager – a beautiful bird native to Brazil.

Posted on May 30, 2016June 6, 2016 by ellajohnston12

Plant of the week 30 May 16: Hibiscus

As tropical themes proliferate the summer collections this year I thought I’d concentrate on hibiscus flowers for my plant of the fortnight.

According to legend, the hibiscus flower is traditionally worn by Tahitian and Hawaiian girls and is symbolic of relationship status. Apparently if the flower is worn behind the left ear, the woman is married or in a relationship. If the flower is worn on the right, she is single or openly available for love.

These flowers look so robust and full of allure with their strong trumpet shape and long stigma. That makes them such fun to draw. Check out my watercolour and ink illustrations on Friday.

Posted on August 7, 2015August 6, 2015 by ellajohnston12

7 lovely things for the weekend

It’s been a busy week here at Ella’s Place – I’ve been sending my Christmas stationery sets to the printers (more of that in good time) and drawing and painting for an upcoming book project (more of that later, too) as well as editing magazines. In the thick of it it’s lovely when little things fall in front of you that inspire you, take you to a different place or simply make you smile. Here are seven things that did just that this week.

Dr B took this photo of the little clump of heleniums and blue agastache growing in our garden. Such colours!
I really like the playfulness of Lorien Stern’s ceramics. You can see more of them at anthologymag.com.
What fun! The Hello House is a new facade on a Victorian house in Melbourne, Australia. It certainly beats a doormat saying ‘welcome’. See more at Design Milk.
Mlle Hipolyte’s paper fresco in relief called Tropical Jungle is amazing. It features exotic birds and a black panther – and it’s really on trend for the coming year. See more at Fubiz.net.
Tori Murphy‘s homewares, all woven and made in Nottingham, are lovely – but I particularly like this shot of cushions all piled in a corner. It’s got more impact than seeing one cushion on a chair – and of course it makes you want to dive right in.
This folky little owl is actually a musical instrument. He seems to have found his way into the middle of this wooden O. O for owl.
It’s been such a busy week I’ve been dreaming of escapes – this thatched and bamboo hideaway in Vietnam looks just the thing. Via Dezeen. Have a great weekend!