Sunflowers in a Blue Vase

Sunflowers in a blue vase, 199x?  14"x 20"

It feels just like back-to-school here: September began, and all of a sudden everything and everybody ramped up. So since I haven't had time to write anything, I thought I'd post a watercolor from almost twenty years ago. These are sunflowers I grew in my Vermont garden, where in late August and September I always had a big group of them nodding outside my studio window. Except for the ones that made their way into the house or the studio, we left them in the garden for the goldfinches and purple finches to feast on, and enjoyed watching the birds as much as the flowers.

I'm also remembering my great-aunt Inez today; this is the week of her birthday (she would have been about 115!) and she was a very good watercolorist who loved to paint flowers too.

I really like this expressive, free style of watercolor; I was just starting to get comfortable and free with it when I stopped painting very much and began writing more. Right now, I don't know quite how I'm going to keep working at either my art and writing this fall; it certainly won't be with the same focus as this summer. We've got a bunch of professional work to do, Phoenicia has more books coming out before Christmas, choir has begun again, I'm teaching/leading monthly meditation at the cathedral, and there's company coming for various visits starting tomorrow, and a couple of short trips out of town for us as well.

However, in the spirit of last night's first meditation session: deep breaths, calmness, and a reminder-to-self, via the sunflowers, that everything is fine, just as it is, right this moment.

 

Comments

[Dale Favier]

Wow. That's lovely, Beth!

[Robert]

Beautiful sunflowers, Beth. Every year, I sow some; Henry Wilde, a small, ramified type, and I too leave some of them for the birds. There's a particular pleasure to be had from watching the birds feed on something you have grown yourself. Bon courage with your busy autumn.

[Taylor @ Direct flights to Maldives]

You’ve chosen the best flower to draw in watercolours and they look really adorable.

[Roderick Robinson]

Writing vs. painting. Why not combine the two in Japanese script? Just the small matter of learning Japanese but you appear to have a time-sharing (How old-fashioned that epithet appears) instinct.

Meditation. But suppose everything isn't isn't fine and you're turning to meditation to make it so?

Unserious. I'm merely re-introducing myself. Lorenzo da Ponte is dead for the second time and a pink thing resembling a peeled shrimp is emerging bearing my real name. Alas the pickings may be skimpier for you; the real me is no intellectual and likes motorbikes.

[marly youmans]

Kawasaki Motorcycle Jacket, go away!

I wonder what happened to my comments? I was probably so sleepy that I did something askew.

But I like this very much, and see that you could be bold and free long before Iceland! And in color as well.

The problem with wide arts interests is satisfying them all, yet achieving the level and richness one wants to achieve. I see the same issues with my daughter's forays into film, writing, graphic stories, etc. One takes turns, or else gives something up. It's just too bad we can't be triple people, sending versions of ourselves to do each thing in turn--with maybe an extra self to sleep and dream.

[Vivien]

Lovely flame-like and free sunflowers!

I was going to suggest, like Marly above, that it would be good if we could two or three people, one to do the drudgery, another to do the creative interesting things and maybe another to just wander about for an hour or two a day!

[mike]

Wow.

[Uma Gowrishankar]

Beth, this just takes my breath away!

[Marja-Leena]

Lovely, rich colours for watercolour! I usually find them too pale and transparent for my own work. And how I feel the same about September and finding time for everything dear to our creative souls. As Marly and Vivien said, we could be several people and divvie up the work. As I often joke, if I won a lottery I'd hire a housekeeper and a gardener for the drudgery work before I'd even think of a trip around the world. I'm now off to the print studio for a short stolen time while our visitor is off doing her own thing.

[Ellena]

Yes WOW! If only these sunflowers were available as poster or box of cards.

[Jan]

Love the colors, Beth.

[NFL Jerseys sale]

I hope you continue to work hard.Refueling.

[NFL Jerseys sale]

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