Happy Easter : Bluebell Inspiration 2017

 Bluebell Study in Watercolour

I have been working really hard in my cottage garden. Each day I have woken early , raced into the garden and attacked my days' new project with enthusiasm and energy. I set myself challenges to meet for each gardening session. Taking one flower bed at a time, removing weeds, deadheading, sowing seeds, dividing plants and taking cuttings. It has been heaven. At the end of each gardening session I am absolutely exhausted, aching all over from digging, pushing a heavily laden wheelbarrow from one end of the garden to the other and from walking continuously from one part of our large garden to the next.

I love designing the flower borders and I enjoy imagining what colours would work where and how. But at the end of each gardening day I am eager to paint , no matter how tired I may be feeling.

This afternoon I took my paints to the woodland section of our garden and sat quietly to work out which colours I could use to paint bluebells. I always joke each year that they are not blue flowers at all as they look more violet to me than a real blue.

This year Daniel Smith brought out a new watercolour shade called " Lavender" and it has worked amazingly well for these beautiful flowers. I have added other colours to bring this little piece to life but it is so soft.

As I painted the sun shone on my shoulders, birds were singing sweetly and the blackbirds flew in and out of our potting shed, where their nest is, to feed their noisy young who chirped eagerly for their evening meal. Every now and then a canal barge passed by on the water and I would stop painting to just soak in the calming atmosphere.

Our cottage is so pretty and the garden, as hard work as it is, gives me endless inspiration.

I understand that nothing in life worth having comes without very hard work to attain it. Hours and energy put in to the garden give me hours of gorgeous inspiration of beautiful things to paint. My gardening improves my art and I am continually learning from nature.

 Happy Easter to all who celebrate this time of year. New life, new energy, renewed love and passion for all that is good in life. And hope for the future, always.

"Bluebell Light"

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