California Polypody Fern—Original Acrylic Painting

Similar to the liquorice ferns we know and love here in the Pacific Northwest, its southern cousin the California Polypody fern grows on mossy rocks and maple tree branches in the forests of California’s central coast, and tends to be most prolific in the wintertime, when moisture levels are higher and canopy cover lets in more daylight. It’s rare to see what their rhizomes and roots look like below soil level, so when a local gardener was digging some up near Santa Cruz in early 2015, I capitalized on the opportunity and asked for a piece to sketch.

I painted it with really tiny brushes in acrylics, from life, keeping the roots wet on a damp paper towel! Check out its shadow! It really looks three dimensional.

This signed original 5x7 acrylic piece, painted on illustration board, comes with an 8x10” white mat. Ships unframed, but is ready to pop into any 8x10” frame of your choice. Please frame behind glass and hang out of direct sunlight.