Sensation

Back when our boys were little Paul helped them pick out a lilac bush for me for Mother's Day. They chose a variegated variety...called Sensation.  

I'm sure I have photos...but it was predigital....so it would be a chore to find them....but I remember it vividly.  I planted it at our home at the time which was a church parsonage....and when we bought a house a few years later I moved it. It thrived at the corner of our screen porch on Hallmark Road.....and I absolutely loved it.  It was hard to leave it behind when we moved into Portland.

This morning we walked by a Sensation lilac patch....and it took me right back.  

This one seemed to be both pinkish....and purplish.....I loved all of it.

The sketching and watercolor class is officially ending and I squeezed in the last assignment today. (not my best work)  We were supposed to pick something made by machine...not from nature.  I picked something silly....but some of you may remember that I am quite fond of this particular Scotties tissue box.  It's been discontinued....but I still have a stack in my closet.  Phew!  

https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2016/11/its-little-things.html

Pink Ones

"Make it a practice to look for the light. Make it a practice to celebrate the good things.  Make it a practice to become intentional about joy."  Nikki Banas

You can read the rest of the quote here on Nikki's Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/p/CdWuMgeJLoz/

I had a great conversation with a neighbor about how blessed we are. Our neighborhood is in a little chaos right now with the painting project....and parts of it haven't been easy.  

But we decided we need to stay in a place of gratitude....we all have more than we need. We need to practice patience and generosity. And  every day we need to ask ourselves what can I do today to make someone else's day better?

Anne sent me this photo yesterday....and I was just giddy.  It's year two of her rain lily bulbs I gave her and she started watering them early and set them outside when it was warm. Look at all the blooms that have shot up....what a fabulous early spring gift. I just repotted and started watering mine....and there are only tiny signs of life. 

I have more to share. 

I wasn't sure I was going to share this...but it pairs so well with the pink blooms.  One of the assignments in my current class was to sketch and paint a shoe.  I was going to skip the assignment....it just didn't inspire me. My shoes just didn't seem that interesting.  

But then I came across this keychain...and the pink Converse All Star high top was just the nudge I needed.  I had fun with it.

Although I didn't save any baby shoes...my boys always wore high top Converse. And if I would have had a girl...she would have worn pink ones.  

Scilla....

The spring scilla has mostly died back....

but I picked a few remaining sprigs I found in my yard along with a bloodroot bloom a week or so ago. I love having a little bouquet on my window sill.

And here's a little scilla watercolor sketch I did for my class....still practicing. It looks a little forced....I need to loosen back up.

You won't be surprised that I still have the three little flowers and here they are today with all their wabi-sabi personality!  All that's left of the bloodroot is the stamen. Aren't they awesome?

   I couldn't love them more. 

I did a little pen and ink sketch of one this afternoon...and may add just a touch loose color.  Or maybe not.

Journal Style

"If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint', then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."  Vincent Van Gogh  

My Christmas cactus has been in a constant state of bloom since early March. I still check it out every day....watching the blooms come and go....looking for new tiny buds....and thinking about people I love who are struggling in one way or another.

And every afternoon when the sun is streaming through this window the blooms appear to be glowing...and it warms my heart.

This routine has been such a delightful way to brighten this year's slow crawl to spring.

We moved on to flowers in the Sketching and Watercolor: Journal Style class....and I decided to tackle this crazy complicated Christmas cactus bloom.

The shapes and shadows were a challenge...but I think it turned out OK. I'm having fun with the process and the  journal style of painting.

Quietly Practicing

I am not a confident sketcher or painter....and the only way to become more confident is to practice. So that's what I've been doing over the last couple of weeks....quietly practicing my sketching and painting.

I've been working my way through an online class with Jane LaFazio called Sketching and Watercolor: Journal Style.....a class for beginners. That would be me. My little circle painting from yesterday's post was one of my exercises to see how many greens I could make. 

This week we've been working on continuous line drawings....and I did this little sketch of my vessels with my left hand without picking up my pen.

I actually kind of like the wonkiness.

Then I did a continuous line drawing with my right hand....and added watercolor. I'm still working on my greens and trying to leave white space where it matters. That's hard for me. I tried to be pretty accurate.....but I think I'd actually like it a little looser/wonkier.

This was today's continuous line sketch and watercolor project.  This jar of marbles is from my sister Angie....it's a treasure!

Here's my first painted sketch.  Jane has us using a waterbrush....and luckily I had one. I think it was a gift (Becky?) and I hadn't used it much....but now I'm a huge fan.  The barrel of the brush has a water reservoir and you just squeeze to activate. 

Practicing my greens on some peppers.

More early sketches on copy paper...some with my left hand. I know it's a little hard to tell the difference....so I'll quietly keep practicing.  There is something meditative about sketching things around the house.