Necessity is the 'Mother' of Invention....

I feel as though have been struggling with some kind of block - like I'm going backwards - so have spent a lot of time practising washes and colour matching on various flowers.  Have been using the time to play a little and feel more comfortable with paint and paper.... however it still feels like something is missing ... perhaps it's my own attitude and seeing this more as work than enjoyment, probably also due to my health and work commitments at this time of year.

 

Strangely our roses are still blooming randomly, even though we are in the middle of Winter ... there was a perfect bloom on our Good Samaritan rose so I began with washes of the colour I thought were a good match, however each time the paint dried the rose seemed too pale and too pink.  I realised I needed a deeper, richer red which I don't seem to have.  I enjoyed painting it though and didn't want to see it end up discarded.  I did not want to feel as though I had lost yet another day  - I hadn't managed to get out to buy a birthday card for my Mum and I knew I could turn it into something for her.   I was not happy with the edges and used my Micron pen to outline the rose and turn it into something a bit different.

Hence the title of this post - my Mum really is the most supportive and caring person and has been a real cheerleader for me in this late venture into botanical art.  She kept some of my really early drawings and even framed them (eek) and like so many mothers, would be proud of everything her kids do.  I decided to transform the painting into her card and so it became a labour of love.  I had painted the rose in early unfurling stages to one side of the paper so instead of wasting it I decided to include it on the back page by folding between the two.

Voila!!  Hand made birthday card for the best Mum in the world.

Happy Birthday Mum xxx 

When life gets in the way .......

It's been a difficult couple of weeks and not a lot to show for it artistically ... have had a lot of health challenges and what with end of financial year there is so much to take my attention away from what I love to do.  I am lucky enough to work from home running our business but it also means that 24/7 my attention is divided rather than home being a sanctuary away from business and work commitments.

I imagine one of the most difficult challenges for artists and those trying to purse their creative dream is to find the time needed to make progress and feel they have achieved results.

I am currently working on a page of seven flowers .... here in Australia it is the middle of winter - choices are few and involve visits to the garden centre for inspiration .... then trying to mentally compose a page that is pleasing and yet shows a great variation.  So far I have only been able to do some sketching and tonal studies but I don't feel like I am anywhere close to having a selection.

More often than not other tasks take priority - family, business, housework ... and then art.  How I manage to fit in a course like the Society of Botanical Artists Diploma Course in amongst an already full life was always going to be the main obstacle.  Time management is crucial - and when you do have the time your health has to allow you the creative freedom to let your mind and heart connect to what you are trying to achieve.






  I really enjoy sketching and hope one day to spend more time with sketchbooks and journals but for now I have to commit to the deadlines.  The colours and hues of each flower are also proving a real challenge - trying to find the exact colour to depict the flower accurately takes time and lots of trial runs.  I am so fortunate to have contact with a wonderful group of supportive artists who are always willing to help and suggest options - technology may be exhausting at times but I feel far less isolated by having the internet to connect us to each other.

© Vicki Lee Johnston

 I don't have any paintings to show but thought I would post a photo of one of the very first roses I attempted to remind myself I have come a long way and it's all about the journey...