Daliah?

Are they? I think they are. Seen by my friend during a walk. They were in a garden along the canal. These were such a bright colour she took a photo of them.

Flowers are wonderful thing, such amazing structures, with colours outside of the visible spectrum that attract insects to pollinate them. They sometimes use the ultraviolet end of the spectrum to show insects where their nectar is. The trouble with flowers like these is that there are so many petals that the insects can’t get at the nectar. The human intervention of breeding flowers could have a detrimental effect on insect life. There are plants that are advertised as bee friendly, but sometimes that’s all it is, an advert. Single flowered plants are probably best.

Still growing

Yard

Everything is spreading out, the flowers are still blooming and huge leaves are sprouting from the courgette plants although I haven’t looked at them for a few days. My morning glory plants have survived a few cool nights, but still no flowers. I probably planted them too late in the season. I really need to dead head the plants but it’s so cramped along the yard its hard to get down there….. I have noticed the blueberries are ripening. I must pick them soon… I need to get my act together.

Begonias

One of the best things this year have been the begonias in the hanging baskets.

I’m not certain, but I think there are male and female flowers. Because some are big and blousy and the others are smaller and more simple. Whichever they are, they have been beautiful this year. The colours are subtle and amazing. They have also lasted a long time. I’ve only had to dead head them a few times. I’m hoping the weather does not get cold too soon so I can enjoy them for a few weeks longer.

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Soon it will be autumn

The leaves will turn soon, green turning to golds and oranges, the wind blowing through the branches, stripping them until they are bare. Cold and frosty mornings crisping the leaf litter. So that eventually the skeletons of their veins are exposed. Children making prints from the leaves, painting them and pressing them down onto paper. Making them into patterns. Making them into wreaths and table decorations. Using gold and bronze spray paint to cover them. Adding a bit of Holly or Ivy and a red candle for Christmas cheer.

After autumn, Winter chills, usually wet now instead of snow. The branches bare until Spring arrives. Then buds, expanding into leaves again. Back to Summer, heat, flowers, scents, shimmering haze. Life.

Open and Closed

Urban sketchers challenge today

Poor Galdiolus stalk got snapped off in the wind. So I rescued it and put it in an empty fish shaped bottle in some water. Today’s challenge was open and closed so I think the open and closed flowers fit with the prompt. I’ve added the fence and flowers in the background. Using pencil for the sky and trellis. A few hanging baskets and houseplants finish the drawing.

Tableau

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For some reason this little tableau of ornaments reminds me of a zombie movie, or an old episode of Buffy the Vampire slayer. Just random shocked people, a little devil, an owl a Thai figure and a bowl made of buttons. It’s strange what can attract your eye. It’s the colours in it that make it interesting too.

Old cat paintings

Two of my old cats. From these you can see I’ve been interested in patterns and cats for a long time.

I did have a box kite someone made me for Christmas although I never actually flew it. The cat jumped into it and I drew a quick sketch. This was the result. I wish I had taken a photo. The other painting was my old cat lying on a colourful throw. She was very old when she passed away. In her twenties!

I’ve done many portraits of animals from photos but these are more personal and painterly. I also enjoyed playing with colours.

All new urban sketchers challenge

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Today’s challenge was media coverage. I didn’t have a paper and we haven’t seen the news so I decided to draw my phone with the news on it. But I couldn’t hold the phone and the sketch book so I balanced it on my arm. Then I drew the chair in the background. As I had the page of my sketchbook in my image I decided to duplicate the view again and then again. The parrot was on my tee shirt. You don’t realise how much you are moving around when you draw something like this, so my hand was in a differentvosition the second time I drew it, (and the third). I know it’s sketchy but I enjoyed the freedom and looseness of it

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Colours

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Remind me not to play with colours! I have stacks of samples of colours on my phone. Sometimes, like this, I put them together in a simple pattern. Different layers and shapes, folds and twists. I chose rainbow colours, but I think the red is actually a deep orange.

Interesting how colour perception differs from person to person.

I like the way there is a definite hard line seperating each line of hot colours from the blues, greens and purples. Interesting what you can do with photos of carrier bags, tee shirt material, yellow paper, a cleaning cloth and a patterned throw.