A splash of colour

I posted a week ago this painting emerging. It is still work in progress, however as the days get shorter and cooler as autumn advances , every day I have looked at the bright jewel coloured flowers, wet with new rainfall and glowing, however soon they will be gone. So I have picked blooms which have fallen and taken them into my Studio to paint them. The result as I work is serendipitous because the blooms have chosen to be part of my painting. It will take a few weeks to complete, but I am happy with it so far. The paint is very wet do I will be continuing with watercolours and prints.

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Remembering September

I have fond memories of September, especially the abundance of all kinds of berries in the hedgerows. Blackberries have been juicy and sweet. We’ve had glorious warm days and the cottage garden has kept blooming. Dahlias are just beautiful jewel colours, brightening even the odd dull day.

I hope you have enjoyed September.

Spring awakening

Spring awakening!

Fronds unfurl, yellow green

Freshly scented like peas just popped out of their shells.

Narcissi, ‘kissing’ in a sherbet breeze.

Forget-me-nots, sparkling like sapphires.

Precious wild violets ,

Petals like the palest early morning sky;

Perfumed magically sophoriphic when warmed by

The fairy moon.

Love hedgehogs

The light wasn’t great when I photographed the early stages of my watercolour painting of a hedgehog. I will build many transparent colour layers to create this little hog. I’ll aim to capture an essence of his character. I’m waiting for the paint to dry before I carry on.

I’ll update you soon with how my little hog painting is coming on!

It is a joy to be making puddles of colour again, adding water and letting my brush drop colour onto the paper.

Whilst I’m waiting, I’ll make a hot chocolate or chamomile tea to warm my hands.

Have a lovely evening.

I couldn’t resist taking this shot from the courtyard, such a colourful sky!

Glorious bees

Glorious bees

Glorious bees thrive on electric blue filament like petals,

Glowing in a golden sea of pollen.

This wonderful structured plant, Cynara, like a giant artichoke has electric blue petals, however morning light and exposure has made them purple!

After a long period of very hot weather for the UK, the garden has welcomed rain and a cooler period, as I have deadheaded and weeded I have noticed bees and butterflies more often. My lawn is the colour of straw and probably won’t recover this summer.

I hope you are having a god day. Apologies for my go slow blogging at the moment due to disruption in routine as the builders have been at home. The resulting conservatory needs decorating and furnishing but has brought so much light inside the cottage, and I can enjoy changing weather, sunrises and sunsets as well as starry nights from inside!

Flower power

The garden is surprising me every day with new blooms. Time for recording their wonderful shapes and colours. Here are a couple of Watercolour sketches I did yesterday and today. The experience was very relaxing and my paint dried very quickly in the heat!

Both unfinished but hopefully capturing the essence of our colourful garden!

Poppy petals tumbling…

My cottage garden glows

With ragged pink blush

Poppies.

Summer winds blowing,

Tumbling petals flowing

Through a sea of leaves;

Frilly foxgloves enticing bees.

Raspberry tassles

Raspberry tassles, tantalize;

Dainty clematis dazzle;

Muscari like mini pyramids of lapis lazuli brighten shady corners

Whilst amethyst anemones smile

Even when their petals are tattered by windswept twigs.

Glossy cheeky buds

Glossy cheeky buds

Unfurling like sateen skirts

Blowing in the wind,

Delightfully sensual too:

A memory of summer.

I’m enjoying the Tanka poetic form. I hope you enjoy my poem. This beautiful red flowered shrub in my cottage garden is so divine.

Enjoy your weekend!😃

Bursts of brilliant stars

Bursts of brilliant stars,

Stretching, kicking like dancers,

Love to be dazzlers,

Warming the observers’ hearts

While winter’s greaving departs.

These miniature iris’s were a beautiful surprise: inspiration for my Tanka poem above. I hope you enjoy it. I don’t always use a specific poetic form, so I hope it has worked!