Hi Wanderers! Madeline here again, founder & illustrator at Wander Scarf. This Wednesdays post combines two of my favorite things in the entire world, flowers & Laguna Beach :)
The Laguna Beach Wander Scarf was my hardest Wander Scarf illustration yet! I eventually found the color pallet in my backyard but it was a journey. Keep reading for the illustration process, facts about each carnation in the Laguna Beach Wander Scarf floral boarder itself, the best places to find these gorgeous botanicals and an amazing local laguna business that is a must to visit.
I picked the flowers in the Laguna Beach Wander Scarf boarder because they could all be found in my backyard, but it didn’t start off that simple....
I hardcore rode the struggle buss picking out the color pallet for the Laguna Beach Wander Scarf. In each previous scarf design I restricted the illustration to a specific limited set of colors. For example see the Chefchaoen, Morocco Wander Scarf that is predominantly tints/tones of Azure Blue & Tiger Orange with Jade Green accents.
After many failed Laguna Beach Wander Scarf color pallet combinations I found it completely impossible to pick a limited color pallet. Then suddenly it was obvious to me! I was never going to like a limited color pallet for this scarf. Laguna Beach is the city of the artists! This scarf was destine to illustrate a city of color & rainbows. But then I was faced with the dilemma of where to start....
I tried drawing buildings first, then the ocean, then just the boardwalk and nothing really seemed to click. Finally I just went outside and realized there it was in my own backyard! I drew the flowers in my sketchbook and that became inspiration for the color pallet of the Laguna Beach Wander Scarf.
Poppy
Poppies are California's state flower! The huge pedals are just magnificent There is something especially ethereal about Eschscholzia californica alba, white poppies.
They are identical to orange poppies except in color. A phytoene synthase mutation makes their pedals white. I love these babies for the way their pedals become translucent in the sun. The best time to see them in Laguna is late winter to early spring. However the best place of all time to see poppies in full bloom is the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve. I have never been but a wandering journey to the poppy reserve has been on my must do list for a long time. Maybe it will have to be an entire blog post!
Bougainville
One of my absolute favorite flowers because of all the gorgeous of colors it blooms in- pale pink, salmon, blood orange, saturated purple, pure white, apple red and sun yellow! The way they grow & blend together is some serious delicious eye candy.
Bougainvilla attributes its name to commander of the expedition that circumnavigated the globe from 1766-69 Louis Antoine de Bougainville. The vine was first scientifically recorded on this expedition while anchored off the coast of Rio de Janeiro.
These babies bloom in laguna all year round. My favorite place to see them is actually while driving on PCH. They line each side of the 1 and make it an even more magical drive. There is such a wild variety I love how they frame the highway.
Imperial Blue Plumbago
These beautifully bushy blooms are climbing shrubs. Think mountains of blue clustered flowers creating botanical walls, and they are all over laguna!
You can spot them in many front yards and lining the street all over the city. I found these particularly hard to draw because of the way the flowers cluster. When I was struggling to make it work I thought about just cutting them out of the composition completely. Finally I figured out how to make the clusters dynamic by shading the individual flowers in the background. I am so glad these enchanting blossoms are in the scarf because they are so classic Laguna.
Sea Lavender
These are all over Laguna which is why I picked them! Perez’s Sea Lavender is an evergreen perennial & blooms finest in Laguna Beach from March to September. They grow best if full sun with is why they love it here! Whats extra special is that they even retain color when dried.
My favorite places to see them are next to the colorful steps of Third Street or by the pathways next to the montage. I highly recommend grabbing a bench there to watch the sunset.
Princess Flowers
It is no mystery why these treasures are called princess flowers. Just one look and anyone can tell these queens are pure royalty. The flowers grow on long stems & can hang off the wall in a glorious fashion.
They have velvety soft leaves that are brilliant green with yellow, orange & red veins. These verdant leaves inspired the bright green color in the Laguna Beach Wander Scarf.
The Library
One of the most magical places in laguna to see flowers is right in front of our public library! Complete with a full fairy garden this is an excellent place to smell the roses. It attracts butterflies and the cutest bumble bees. Wander through the meandering path for a magical experience!
The Flower Stand
I recreated the color palette in the Laguna Beach Wander Scarf in a bouquet from The Flower Stand located near the Lumber Yard in Downtown Laguna. Katie picks magical flowers from all over the world. Her artistic eye is apparent in her botanical curation. Truly gorgeous this is the perfect place to make your own whimsical bouquet.
After picking this conquest I ran a few errands downtown with these beauties sticking out of my basket. Multiple strangers stopped my to ask where I bought the flowers. If you want carnations that get attention this is definitely your spot!
Whats your favorite flower? Have you ever wandered through a particular glorious field or botanic garden? Share it with us @wanderscarf :)
- Keep Wandering
