I’ve been taking pottery classes for months. Before the summer break, I completed a bunch of tiny bud vases in anticipation of filling them with all of the beautiful flowers from my gardens.
I have a little ritual every Sunday. I empty the previous weeks flowers, rinse out my vases, fill them with clean water and prepare for a new week of flowers.
I love this little ritual. Not only are the flowers beautiful in their own right, but the ritual of having to find different flowers for all of the little vases, forces me to pay attention and tune into my surroundings. I walk through my yard looking over, looking under, taking in my gardens. Way to often, especially this year, I am rushing around creating art, taking care of the kids, fulfilling obligations. The saying “Stop to smell the roses” is famous for a reason. Life is short, the life span of a flower is even shorter, if you don’t stop to take it all in, you’ll miss it.
This upcoming week will be another full-time home with the kids week. My time will be stretched thin. Each day I will work on a small 9×12 inch watercolor of my bud vases and flowers from my garden. By the end of the week, it is my hope that I will have recreated the scene from my windowsill. This way, I can enjoy my garden’s beauty for just a little longer.
Here is a photo of today’s painting. I’m about an hour away from completing it. I still have to finish the center buds, the back ground and a bit of glazing throughout the painting to create a little more depth.
This is one of my first bud vases I ever created. It’s a line textured dome in a vast array of greens. The flowers are Rose of Sharon, a favorite August flower.
Today I didn’t observe and then draw what I saw, Instead I observed, took in the attributes of each item and then composed my own image based on what I thought would make a more complete and balanced design. I forget, I have this control. I am the eye of the beholder. I plan on playing with this whole series. Paying careful attention to the composition instead of simply observing a still life. We will see by the end of the week whether anyone can tell a difference in my work.
Until then, take my advice, it’s well worth it. Get out there and smell your roses!
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Lovely little vases all in a row… can’t wait to see you back in the studio! You are an inspiration.
Dear pottery instructor, please tell me you will help me master the art of glazing. I haven’t been very happy at my own crazy attempts…I look forward to staring from scratch!