By Carol Felixson
Special to The Times

August 1, 2004

"Leaves of three ­ let it be" is good advice to remember when you are walking near thick vegetation. The warning refers to the shiny, three-leaf clusters found on the plant called poison oak. It can cause a burning, itchy rash if you stumble upon it. Leaves vary in color from green in the spring to red and yellow during the summer. It sheds its leaves in the winter, making it harder to identify but still harmful.

After studying poison oak from a safe distance, Julia, 12, illustrated this pretty but hazardous plant with chalk pastels. She learned that "there is a chemical in the sap of its leaves and stems that irritates most people's skin if they touch it." When hiking, it's advisable to wear long sleeves, long pants and high socks. And when you get home, be sure to wash up and launder your clothes.

Before beginning her illustration, Julia noted her subject's shape and colors. She looked at the plant up close and at a distance. She made a few sketches with an erasable pen, then redrew her favorite on paper specially textured for pastels.

The young artist described pastels as "dry painting sticks of pure pigment that are made in a wide range of colors." Julia applied the pastels directly on the paper, then blended them together with her fingers. When finished, she wiped the pastels clean with a tissue to remove the colors that smudged on them.

Good job, Julia!

 

About the series: Each month, Carol Felixson introduces children to a subject from nature and an art technique. She is director of education and community outreach for UCLA's Stunt Ranch Reserve and Mathias Botanical Garden. Sept. 5 lesson: desert cottontail and cookie art. Previous projects can been seen at nrs.ucop.edu/Reserves/stunt/newsforkids.html.


 

Carol Felixson
Director of Education/Community Outreach
UCLA Stunt Ranch Reserve &  Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden
310 206-3887, nrs.ucop.edu/Reserves/stunt.html, www.botgard.ucla.edu
LA Times Science/Art Lessons for Kids: http://nrs.ucop.edu/Reserves/stunt/newsforkids.html

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