Sometimes the days are too filled, don’t you find? The past weeks certainly have been. There was the matter of extra people in the house, followed by my writing critique group Monday, which meant writing new scenes for my novel that I wished others to comment upon. Book Club was on Tuesday, and Wednesday I spent time with my daughter, as it was her penultimate day before departure. First thing today, I dropped her in the city, returned home and spent a number of hours cleaning up the place as tomorrow the plumber is coming early to fix our shower, and, someone is delivering a new bed. They are expected around 7am! And that’s early for a ‘retired’ ( or I should say ‘tired’) person like me.
I am not really complaining, it’s just that I had hoped to write a clever/witty/intelligent post about …? It never happened. After bringing in yet another load of dry washing today, and having to walk past our table sporting a jar of wilting flowers I really should have disposed of, I had the great idea of sketching them, and I did. The sketch took less than thirty minutes as I could see that I just might ruin it if I kept fiddling. I had thrown many mediums at it, not in anger, but because I couldn’t think what I wanted to use, so, tried out graphite, aquarelle pencils, water-soluble graphite, and watercolour, oh, and after I’d taken the above photo, decided to add a little scribble of pen. I viewed the sketch, with the aim of fixing the mucky-looking vase later, and left it to dry.
It is now the following day, and after being unable to remove the white lumocolour which I’d tried to run an eraser through: that’s the thick crayon one can lay down first, repelling water. It does work well, If used correctly, but I am rather impatient, and even though I know an eraser will not remove the substance, I still act as if it can! I added a little detail to the mauve rose, a touch of pen to the sides of the vase and put down my tools. Voila! A vase of wilting flowers.
ARTISTRY 
Very nice effects!
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Thanks Chris
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A beautiful, bright, fresh picture, Vivienne. Hope all is well over there after the terrible weather.
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Thanks Phil, it was anding that the sketch turned out at all! The weather has left terrible legacy over on the east coast, with roads in places impassable; orchards, vineyards vegetables gardens etc are in ruins, hence food distribution lessened to a trickle with some food products, resulting price hikes, which none of us are liking, but accepting. Today the weather is absolutely gorgeous here, but over there thunderstorms are forecast. Otherwise, all good with me and family.
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What a creative solution and the sketch is fab!
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Thanks Yvette
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A lovely picture and thanks for the sharing your work process. Most interesting. Hopefully the bad weather has passed. Good wishes to all.
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Thank you Yvonne. The bad weather has passed, but the cleanup is massive for the areas most affected. Bridges, roads, re-location of homes, loss orchards etc.
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I know exactly what you mean Vivienne…there is never enough time to get everything checked off on the to do list. However, your sketch features a looseness to it that I quite like and that I am seeking in my own florals. One breath at a time, one painting at a time! 😉
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Beautiful work!
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I love this. (And on my kitchen counter is a wilted bouquet wondering if it’ll need to stand for yet another still life!)
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Take every opportunity!
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