I have modified your program so that you have more control over the creation of a leaf but also to show you a another more generic way to draw shapes at any particular position, rotation and size.

The picture on the right shows the output from the program .

1. void setup() {
2.   size(400, 400);
3.   background(206, 198, 198);
4.   noLoop();
5. }
6. 
   
7. void draw() {
8.   for (int i = 0; i < 360; i += 45) {
9.     leaf(width/2, height/2, 1.2 - i / 360.0, radians(i));
10.   }
11. }
12. 
    
13. void leaf(int x, int y, float lfSize, float dir) {
14.   // Preserve the current transformation matrix
15.   pushMatrix();
16.   // Perform transformations in TRS order
17.   translate(x, y);            // Define origin for the drawing
    
18.   rotate(dir);                // rotate by 'dir' radians
    
19.   scale(lfSize);              // scale the image
    
20.   beginShape();
21.   vertex(0, 0);
22.   bezierVertex(50, -60, 100, -30, +150, -50);
23.   bezierVertex(100, 30, 50, 30, 0, 0);
24.   endShape();
25.   // Restore matrix
26.   popMatrix();
27. }

Notice I have also change the scale and rotations to floats rather than ints - better range of values available

By the way the transformations must be done before drawing the shape - that is one of the reasons your program did not work as expected.

HTH

Great!

Thank you for your help. When I say

pushMatrix() --> x,y values are preserved as 200,200
then when I say
translate(x,y)  --> I thought I was moving from 200, 200 which would give 400, 400 but when I am inside a pushpop I am moving coordinates from a local 0,0 so I am actually at global 200,200 but I refer to it in local coordinates. Then when I say
vertex(0,0) --> I am saying local 0,0 which is global 200,200
Correct?

Thanks!
McK

>  Then when I say  vertex(0,0) --> I am saying local 0,0 which is global 200,200
Correct?