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I've gone a little flower crazy recently. A few weeks ago I finished a painting of a magnolia. Since then I've been out to the arboretum to photograph them as they bloom, made drawing, and started another painting. I hope to have it ready for you next week.     Before the cold came again. Before the snow started to fly, I managed a day in the sun along with a few friends.       It seemed like three colors dominated my week. Black, green, and blue. It's funny how you start to see something everywhere after you decide to pay attention to it.  Black, green, and blue bike Black - Night walks. Bright clear stars, trees lit by the occasional porch light, and relative quiet. Frogs, water lapping on shore, barking dogs. So restful. One tree branch, reaching high into the black sky ran just along the handle of one of the dipper handles trying to draw my attention back up to the sky. Green - Warm temperatures after several days of rain is turning everything green. The grass has greened, early crab apples are pushing leaves, willows are glowing green-gold. Even a bright green door standing guard along the street on my walk home.    Blue - Picked up a blue pen to sketch with this week. Who knew it would be so fun to draw in a new color. Waiting downtown for the bus it seemed like a sea of blue clothes. Pants, shirts, ties and dresses. I'm sure they've always been there but the color jumped out at me this week. Along with our bright blue spring skies and deep blue lakes.     Have you noticed any colors dominating your week?  Spring Magnolia The weather has turned warm, well, for the most part. Winter and spring are still playing their fugue. The light, bright melody of spring intertwined with the heavier, slower notes of winter. But with each passing day we hear more and more of springs sweet melodies. Singing birds, greening grass, budding trees, and determined spring bulbs.
Like them I'm eager for spring too. I hadn't painted in some time and decided to take advantage of the long Easter weekend. I dug through all of my flower photos for something that sang of what's to come. Then got to work painting. I'm really pleased with how this came out and maybe it can add one more note of spring. I was having one of those days. Walking home, feeling overwhelmed, it suddenly occurred to me that this was probably the most beautiful day we'd had all year. I made myself stop and take a moment, push the sadness aside enough to really see what was around me. A clear bright blue sky, a world flooded with sunshine, European starlings sitting on the telephone wire adding their unique voices to the others, robins out looking for an evening meal, blue and purple crocus buds ready to burst. One thought led to another. blue and purple spring flowers. As a girl I thought that maybe the flowers followed the same color progression as the rainbow. Well, the same but backwards. VIBGYOR. First the blue and purple flowers. Crocus, grape hyacinths, scilla. Then green as the trees begin to leaf out. Next yellow. Daffodils, forsythia, and iris. Finally orange and reds. Poppies, peonies, bleeding hearts, and tulips. Maybe even the seasons followed the pattern. Winter's blue tones, spring and summer awash in green, and fall's bright yellows, orange, and reds. Of course it's not that simple. There are yellow crocus and peonies. Yellow and burgundy iris and a wide variation of tulips. But the idea of a overarching unity is irresistible. There is a rhythm to the blooming and it's worth the time to pay attention and enjoy the unfolding. It can change your day.             |
Beauty and InspirationThis blog is about my inspirations and my love of art. I welcome your reactions to my work. 
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