Hollyhocks in watercolour
Painting in my garden in soft afternoon summer light.
Yesterday was one of those glorious days where you just know you simply have to paint outside. The sun shone in the late afternoon as clouds cleared from what had started out to be a grey day. In our cottage garden is the tallest of hollyhocks in a stunning dark colour. I have eagerly awaited the first blooms to appear on this stunning plant , but a stream of guests meant that my painting time dwindled rapidly.
But I had that luxury of being able to sit outside in sunshine yesterday and aimed to capture the silky petals of this almost black flower. I love hollyhocks. The best I have ever seen, or at least the most memorable have been in Monet's garden in Giverney, France. Painting this flower in my own garden took me back in time to that fabulous visit and memory where I was so inspired by my hero, an artist who has greatly influenced my own personal approach to creating.
The photo below shows the soft afternoon sunlight. Isn't it beautiful? Now imagine this with birdsong and butterflies hovering around me as I worked.
Hollyhocks in my garden and my painting of them.
Below you can see the flowers I am creating in watercolour. In some lights they appear to be almost black in colour.
Hollyhock close up.
I think in life we often have to grab moments of beauty, sunshine and calm when we can.
And yesterday was one of those moments.
Happy painting.
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The Hollyhocks are beautiful-stunning colour, no wonder you couldn't resist painting them. xx
ReplyDelete"When skies are blue and days are bright
A kitchen-garden's my delight,
Set around with rows of decent box
And blowsy girls of Hollyhocks."
Lovely. I found this post on Pinterest and and followed it to the blogsite not knowing whose blog it was, but knowing without a doubt the artist was either Jean Haines or one of her students. Thank you for sharing your beautiful work.
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