PLAYTIME

I bought a travel box of water colours the other day and thought it would probably be a good idea to try them!

Long ago, in another lifetime, I was an artist’s model/assistant. No, not apprentice, because that would imply that I was taught.  No, I was more… the go-fer. And the first thing I did learn was that Winsor and Newton was the be-all, end-all name in water colours. Dispatched one day for a tube of Alizaron Crimson, I came home with a tube of the colour by Reeves. Oops!

Anyway, it stuck with me and when the only travel box in town that was within my price range was a Reeves product…the clock’s hands went backwards and I hesitated.

I did a quick sketch of the silk orchid that lives on my desk. If you’re curious, you’ll find it above, on the “sketches” page.

Last year, when pruning/hacking back the Hibiscus mutabilis , I poked a few of the trimmings into the soil. Seven bits, apparently, all now flowering. No discernible fragrance, but oh! so lovely to see!

The flowers open early morning, a pure white until around noon (this photo was taken then), but as the sun heads west the petals take on, at first, a delicate blush, becoming a deep madder by late afternoon.

Here’s a  view at 2pm…

And one at 4pm…

Tomorrow they will look like this…

And now…it’s bedtime.

Thursday-update about spiders for Ian. The squeamish(you, Daisyfae!) are warned. The brave can go here  http://mrwriteon.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/all-our-lovely-harbingers-of-spring-are-to-be-welcomed/

I was messing with camera settings – this is the H.mutabilis, not a Mecanopsis Look at those legs! I feel much better about mine now! 🙂