"28 Years" - Year #16

For general information about this 22"x30" colored pencil drawing, see this blog post.
For more information about the flower symbolism I used (Years 15-28) and life events that led me to select those particular flowers, see this blog post.

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For my 16th year, I looked to marigold and hollyhock as my symbolic flowers.

• Marigold: symbol of pain, grief, cruelty, jealousy, beauty, warmth of the rising sun, creativity, and a drive to succeed
• Hollyhock: symbol of ambition, abundance, and fertility

I first drew outlines of the plants on black paper:

I looked at these two botanical drawings while I worked (I do not own these images; I found them on Google):

I lightly filled in the graphite outlines with colored pencil, then erased the graphite.

Then I started adding layers of bright colors to the marigold flowers and leaves.

Next, I colored in the hollyhock, starting with the leaves and stem, and then the flowers.

Here are the first 16 "mini-drawings." Only 12 more to go until this large drawing is complete!