Peonies, leaf dish, and book. watercolor, pen and ink, about 6" x 9".
Alone one night this week I felt an urge to read the conversation between Julius and Farouq again. I took down the book and read chapter nine out on the terrace, while drinking a glass of white wine and eating a bit of Manchego. Then I had dinner, while this scene stared at me like a silent companion across the table, and then I had no choice but to make this painting.
I am awed.
Posted by: Peter Zicari | June 25, 2016 at 03:29 PM
That is so, so pretty.
Posted by: Hattie | June 29, 2016 at 03:41 AM
What Peter said! Gorgeous. Peonies are so short-lived, this is how to enjoy them all year.
Posted by: Duchesse | July 01, 2016 at 08:12 AM
Your previous post urged people to be strong and outward-looking in the face of depressing national circumstances. It encouraged me to write a lengthy comment about what life is like in post-Brexit UK and how things had impinged on me personally (notably to do with music). Rather late in the day I discovered that comments to that post had been closed. But please understand, this is not a complaint. There is useful therapy to be gained in simply describing - in words that are as accurate as possible - the state one finds oneself in. I profited from the exercise and, strangely enough, from the fact that what I had written would not see the light of day. It was perilously close to self-pity.
Posted by: Roderick Robinson | July 02, 2016 at 04:36 AM
Robbie, I'm sorry you had trouble commenting, and sorry we all can't read what you wrote. The comments are not turned off for this post, and I just tried leaving a test comment with no trouble, so I don't know what was wrong. If I lived in Britain or were British I know I would be depressed and discouraged, regardless of positive generalized exhortations from blog friends! It's bad enough to watch this from the outside, and worry about what may happen in the U.S. in November. Certainly our individual lives contain much that isn't deeply affected by external events - theoretically we can still draw, read, play the piano, see friends, the list goes on - but when the spirit suffers, so does everything else. I know you worry about the future for your grandson as well, as would I. Well, what's to say? I do hope you'll write again what you were feeling about music, as I'm curious how Brexit will impinge on that part of your life. And again, sorry you had trouble. I've gotten in a habit of swiping and copying any comment to the clipboard before I hit "submit." That way at least I can save it and try again. Life's small annoyances can be pretty damn annoying.
Posted by: Beth | July 02, 2016 at 10:18 AM