FLOWERS

By the end of summer, the morning glory seeds planted in early

spring have climbed high up into the birch trees, making

passers-by look twice. Few have seen a flowering birch.

I want to cultivate the seed that was placed in me until the last small twig has

grown. (Kathe Kollwitz)

Morning Glories

Geraniums are such a reliable stand-by to brighten any area

because of their intense colour and hardiness. One doesn’t

even need a green thumb to grow a lush pot full.

In everything imposingly beautiful, strength has much to do with the magic.

(Herman Melville)

A Pot of Geraniums

This appealing little fellow belongs to a painting buddy of mine

who lives in Alberta. We alternate suggesting projects to one

another and, when we’re finished, we email the completed

paintings to each other for critiquing. Not only does it give us

more incentive to create, it is very interesting to see how the

other interprets the project in their painting of it. As we move

along trading ideas and insights, both our art and our friendship

are developing.

Art-making is a celebration. It's the triumph of rugged individualism. But a small

degree of confidence in your work can indulge and celebrate the input of a

trusted friend. She may know what you already know, and help you to see it.

(W. S. Gilbert)

Guardian of the Garden

A rose has an early morning visitor.

The rose has no ‘Why?’ It flowers because it flowers. (Angelus Silesius)

The Rose

Even though nothing can compare with nature’s perfection, the

delicacy of the poppy petals and the lace-like structure of the

allium blossoms impressed me enough to want to give my own

interpretation of their beauty.

Art comes into being in that abstract interval between a thought and reality—and

no one—not even the artist who created it, can re-measure the influences that

caused it. (Edgar A. Payne)

Poppies and Allium

The inspiration for this painting came from the web. I felt that

the intricacy of nature’s roses on one side of the painting and

the delicacy of the man-made lace opposite them created

balance, the state we try to achieve in our lives.

Creativity is that marvelous capacity to grasp mutually distinct realities and

draw a spark from their juxtaposition. (Max Ernst)

This image was used in Insight Across The Borderlands, found in ‘Our Stories’

Lavender Lace

The eyes see the object, the brain registers “flower” and the

emotions - using the hand as an instrument - interpret it. It may

not be a ‘true’ representation (like a photograph) but rather,

artistic license to paint what one feels about what one sees –

one of the many joys of painting.

If the eye watches the hand, this would enable the marks being placed on the

page to receive the proper guidance, but the results would be memory and

destroy the potential of drawing the reality. (Lorne Coutts)

Gladiola

Another early flowering favourite of mine is the columbine. It is

so delicate, both the flower and the leaves, yet fragile as it

appears, it provides welcome nourishment for the newly arrived

hummingbirds.

True strength is delicate. (Louise Nevelson)

Columbine

These are only a few of the many flowers indigenous to the

Yucatan coast that we found on our morning walks during our

stay there in December and January 2003. Our 5 mile walks

along the ocean were slow and getting my “painting

treasures” back before they wilted was tricky and required the

use of wet paper towels and plastic bags.

When mortals wander far from home,

Beauty's web may catch them as they roam. (Goethe)

Yucatan Blooms

We later moved on to the west coast and found a completely

different ecosystem. Half the flowers depicted are vine-

growing succulents and cover roadsides, trees and whatever

else stands still long enough. There is more moisture on this

coast of Mexico and thus the vines can support more

extravagant flowers. They were everywhere and their beauty

was striking.

Nobody sees a flower, really – it is so small it takes time: we haven’t time –

and to see takes time; like to have a friend takes time. (Georgia O'Keeffe)

From the West Coast

Those of you who followed our Mexlogues will know that we

had to spend extra time in Mazatlan because of a car accident.

Across from the motel where we stayed for 11 days was the

Mazatlan bull ring and along one side was a grassy, semi-

hidden area where we did our Tai Chi early in the morning. The

wall in front of us was covered with huge bougainvillea trees in

full bloom, so this little sprig I ‘appropriated’ to paint back in

our room wasn’t even missed.

When you paint, try to put down exactly what you see. Whatever else you

have to offer will come out anyway. (Winslow Homer)

Bougainvillea

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