Pencil and watercolour on paper, 2xA4: "Blazing Trumpets"; Made direct from life while sitting sketching in our local country park conservatory with maw, paw, and a' the weans looking over my shoulder watching me! You will note that this plant is not a native of Scotland and therefore could'nae last ten minutes outside, even at the height of summer on a good day. 40degrees indeed!Wednesday, 27 August 2008
Peruvian Trumpets
Tomorrow I will be getting my whole house re-fitted with new double glazing as part of a wider strategy to combat outrageously high (and rising) energy prices. Next month I will also have my decrepit, totally inefficient, boiler replaced with a new Grade A fuel efficient combi-boiler, again to allay some of these costs (and make the house cosier). And so today I have a million-zillion things to do in preparation for the contractor's early start tomorrow morning. But I can't put myself anywhere and I certainly can't think about creating artwork. This is typical of me - The Eternal Procrastinator: I would rather do other more interesting things than what I am supposed to. So this afternoon I have been visiting some other friendly bloggers to see what they have been up to and as promised to Melinda I have posted this sketch of a Peruvian plant called 'Datura sanguinea' to compliment the sketch she has recently posted: TobaccoSphinxandDatura:
Pencil and watercolour on paper, 2xA4: "Blazing Trumpets"; Made direct from life while sitting sketching in our local country park conservatory with maw, paw, and a' the weans looking over my shoulder watching me! You will note that this plant is not a native of Scotland and therefore could'nae last ten minutes outside, even at the height of summer on a good day. 40degrees indeed!
Pencil and watercolour on paper, 2xA4: "Blazing Trumpets"; Made direct from life while sitting sketching in our local country park conservatory with maw, paw, and a' the weans looking over my shoulder watching me! You will note that this plant is not a native of Scotland and therefore could'nae last ten minutes outside, even at the height of summer on a good day. 40degrees indeed!
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15 comments:
Wow! David. Wow. These Peruvian Trumpets are gorgeous. You've captured them beautifully. Thank you so much for posting the complementary study and for linking to my garden's datura. Did you know that the native peoples in the southwest (US) believed that these are sacred plants? They planted them at burial sites as well as using the seeds to make a psychotropic, ceremonial drink (Don't try this at home!). I've learned that when you see a clump of them in New Mexico, it probably means an ancestor is buried there.
You know, I can hear your voice in your writing. My son's former principal is from Scotland (a Ms. McGarvey). Tough cookie, or is that tough biscuit?
Yes, 40 degrees F. We become cave like creatures shunning sunlight-- like roaches when a light is turned on...until October.
Best of luck with the renovations. You're going to be so happy with the results and this winter won't be quite so intrusive.
Great work, David! Those trumpets have wonderful character with the gorgeous reds and yellows and the expressive forms of the petals in profile.
Them New Mexicans knew a thing or two. Psychotropic ceremonial drinks sounds very inviting, Melinda. - make mine a large one!
Is that Ms McGarvey with the fur coat* from Edinburgh? I knew her faither well - a real tough biscuit!
And thanks for the wow-wows (was that the German Shepherd assisting you again?).
Brian: My approach to sketching, as in most things, tends to be on the loud and brashful side! (a camouflage for my shy personality) Thanks for your appreciation.
Caio bello!
*If you are too sensitive, don't ask!
A bit like a greek chorus, the second wow was indeed from the shepherd. You've got me LOMAO.
My cousin in Los Alamos, NM tells me that every once in awhile a few of the local high school kids get taken to the hospital after ingesting a mere handful of seeds...Are you sure 'bout that drink?! The same goes for peyote which he grows in his green house. He gave me one of these fragile plants and I marvel at its thriving in my kitchen window, ever curious about its power...yet, a lot older and slightly wiser now.
Okay, you are aware that artists are a curious bunch. So, I must ask about the Ms. McGarvey you mentioned. Who is this character?
The datura painting has a "one breath" feeling in the leaves, like the japanese sumi-e works. Lovely. Have you studied it?
A very neat piece. I like the design and the color application.
Nice work David! Very fresh and free. Good luck with the tradesmen. All such things are standard here now; double glazing, roof and wall insulation, water saving loos and soon solar hot water systems etc. etc. Your recent flower studies are so nice to look at; here it's all weeds and humidity.
Well that's the double-glazing finished and what a great job they did of it! Perhaps I can get on with some artwork.
Edgar: I am aware, and an admirer of Japanese sumi-e works but haven't made any in-depth study of it. Perhaps I should - I might improve my technique by reducting to the essence. By the way I'm intrigued by the term "one breath" feeling. Sounds brilliant, and I'm pleased I've done it, but not sure I know exactly what it means. Answer on a postcard.
onpainting: Thanks for visiting and commenting, although I'm not sure if it's Bill or Lisa I'm talking to - you both speak much the same way! I'll come and visit and you can let me know.
Andrea: It's pretty much the same here with new buildings and any new work being carried out. My house is getting on a bit (Right! No sniggering - who said "a bit like yourself!"?) and I should have done this work a long time ago but as the Eternal Procrastinator it's amazing I've even gotten round to it now! (Note the Americanism creeping in: "gotten". Too much exposure to our other ex-colonials!)
Glad you've enjoyed my flooers. Hope the humidity subsides soon.
And Melinda: Thought I had missed you? Just keeping the best jokes to the end! First of all you've got me back with LOMAO. I can only imagine it to mean 'Laughing Something My Arse Off' but that would be too rude for a lady like you, so you must tell me or I'll go crazy!
The Ms Garvey I knew was from Edinburgh and we have two sayings in Glasgow which go like this: The only good thing that ever came out of Edinburgh was the Glasgow train!, and: Toffy ladies from Edinburgh are all fur coat and nae knickers! I'm sure it couldn't be your Ms Garvey. No way!
Definitely not.
Possible?
David these are really lovely. Good luck with your energy savings stuff. You inspire me...Must get off my fanny! I find it most strange that the thing I need the most (art making) eludes me when I'm stressed.
Thanks Lindsay!
But you are the one deserving of admiration for all that you are doing down at the polis station (Working Art) and submissions to the Oil Pastel Society! Well done!
But I know how you feel about not creating when you are feeling stressed. I find if you just hang on it will pass and creativity will surface again. That's what I'm doing right now!
Yes, David. The translation for you is "Lahfing me arse off," of course...on my more polite days.
You are a delight. You're prolly (as my New Mexican cousin says) the light in your neighborhood, especially with all of the rain lately.
Loved the McGarvey stories. Hmmm. As I recall, my son said that our Ms. McGarvey spoke with very colorful language...and, I don't mean the accent---at school, no less! So, I think it's quite possible she's one of those "nae knickers" types. But, I'm sorry, I don't know what "Toffy" means.
Phew!, Melinda - I thought I may have offended your lady-like sensibilities with my guess at what LOMAO stood for, but mightily relieved we are both are as common as muck!
Toffy, or toffy-nosed, means: stuck up or haughty, and (in this case) outwardly showy with fur coat and nose in the air, while underneath they are really quite common (just like the rest of us) ha!
Common?!!!
What was I thinking? I don't think you're common Melinda - I might be but you certainly aren't.
I plead temporary insanity, and beg your forgiveness.
David,
I'm not in the least bit offended! I guess I would say that I'm just a garden variety version of 'every person' even if in my more gradiose moments I think I'm special. Ha.
Oh, you are so right about Ms. McGarvey. Here in Tucson, anyone with an accent (in particular-Scottish, Irish, English) is seen to have descended from royalty. In fact, most americans can't tell the difference between the regional accents! If you ever get a chance to visit the states, you'll experience this phenomenon.
Please. Be crazy. Paint wildly. Live fully in your neck o' the woods! You are not really as 'common' as you may think. Modest, but not common.
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