I'm on a roll

In the perfect world, I should probably live in a field of flowers.  I love how flowers make me happy and smile.  Today, I was inspired to paint some Japanese Anemones.  I chose to do it in watercolors.  


Living in New England, we won't see an abundance of flowers in our yards until May.  There will be a splattering of colors here and there, but often those will fade away before the real sun decides to visit.  I did see one lonely crocus in my front garden bed the other day.  I think the rain that fell the last three days must have drowned it away.  

When I visited California in February, there were flowers blooming everywhere and pollen on the cars.  My sister's neighbor had a lemon tree that had tiny buds in September and full lemons in February.  The lemons from her neighbor's tree had this unbelievable sharp lemon smell that oozed through the skin.  Nothing like the premature picked lemons that we find in the grocery store in New England.  


I was able to get to the farmer's Market on Saturday while visiting my sister and found rows and rows of fresh cut flowers.  How lucky to be able to grow them so early in the season.  


Do you grow your own flowers?  If so, what do you have in your garden.

Painting is therapeutic.

For anyone that paints, I find it very therapeutic to envision a piece and sketch it out.  Lay out my paints and then begin layering the colors on.  While painting, you have to stop and allow the paint to dry before painting on the next layer of colors.  This gives you time to reflect on your piece and plan a process of steps for each phase.  Today I finished a piece that I had started in the fall of 2009.  It only needed minor adjustments to the border, but it took me a long time to feel that I could finish it.  It is one of my many paintings involving lily pads.  Lily pads have a very zen look to them.  I like the shape, the color, the ability for it to float endlessly on top of the water.  I love Lily pad that bloom beautiful flowers.    


Here is my final piece entitled Lily Pads.  I hope you like it.


Is there something that you look at that makes you feel zen?