A year in the making ...

© Vicki Lee Johnston

I remember when my Mum knew I was interested in botanical art - she asked me to paint a hydrangea and would bring cuttings to me to encourage me. This was before I had done any classes and even to my untrained eye I knew how difficult it would be with all the varying petals, stamens, veins and in particular the leaves with so much detail. I was also struggling with my eyesight and issues relating to an ongoing problem I had since childhood resulting in two surgeries to correct vision.

© Vicki Lee Johnston

It was quite ironic that my first class was the very difficult hydrangea and I was determined to complete it. I worked very hard all year to do so, through trial and error - thank goodness I had learnt how to repair mistakes at the school. I would have given up many times otherwise.  Learning by trial and error is very time consuming with watercolour as it can be unforgiving.

By the end of the year I had the hydrangea completed and framed. It was a joy to present it to my mother on Christmas Day ...