There are a few places where you might find me on these beautiful spring days...
But undoubtedly, all those places are most likely different nooks in the garden.
Painting outside, at the height of spring, is some kind of dream.
With roses and poppies unfurling at the speed of light, you simply do not want to miss a drop of time in the garden.
Bees and pollen and beautiful light are sure to be found in abundance.
But nothing can prepare you for the intoxicatingly glorious scent of the air.
Fragrant dizzying rose scent wafts about, only to be outdone by the ridiculously aromatic honeysuckle.
It's no wonder that I have been enticed to complete my giant flower painting outside.
If you think about it, the flowers are actually this big in bee land.
Imagine, how gigantic the insects must find all the blossoms?!
And so, because I can not fathom the idea of not being a part of the magical garden days...
I find the perfect spot at golden hour, when evening light is the best for painting in.
I grab a cup of peppermint tea and situate myself at the top of the hill, in front of the first blue arbor (as there are two), just above the citrus grove.
The mixture of Pierre de Ronsard and Pearly Gates roses are just blooming over the arbor, and I wished someone could just pinch me to remind me it's all real.
I am sure you feel the same way, when the roses start to bloom?
I inspect them, admiring the layers of petals in sheer disbelief and awe.
After all these years of gardening, you'd think I'd be used to them.
But no, every flush of blooms takes my breath away as though I had never seen them before.
Funny how that happens.
The lavender ones below are the most fragrant, completely knocking your socks off.
So, I set them by my side as I put the finishing touches on my painting.
Giant hydrangeas are my favorite to paint, I think.
Although, I do love painting bees...
Or perhaps it's the flicking of the pollen onto the canvas at the end that feels so dangerous and exciting?
Imagine, standing before a fully completed painting, and then flicking paint wildly at it.
How wonderfully exhilarating.
Good thing it all went okay :-)
I take breaks to visit the Collette's...
I sit to admire the neon pink paint brush wash potion, sitting next to exquisite petals.
The last glow of golden hour flickers through the trees...
Sending flashes of light through, to illuminate my painting here and there.
In truth, the painting was made for my sister, to hang above the bed she sleeps in when she visits me.
I love having her over, it's so much fun to have a sister that you enjoy.
We laugh and sing and speak with different accents.
Probably keeping certain accents going for too long, but we just continue as though we have morphed into different people.
We jump onto each other's nonsense bandwagon, different British accents flying around.
Then we turn up the music and sing.
Or we could be silently sitting in the conservatory, and I start humming a certain tune, and then we both begin belting out the tune together.
It's just a hoot.
We bake, we cook, we go shopping for books and plants and a new pool for Teddy.
I made her a custom Blythe doll.
Two grown women, washing doll hair in the sink, because it is our norm.
We stroll through the garden in the morning, watching poppies unfurl and admiring all the birds.
Cardinals chasing each other, and a mama hummingbird sitting on two eggs in a thimble sized nest.
I could go on and on about out tea parties and trimming hair and making elderflower cocktails.
But the best part is how she loves my dogs and wanted to spend time with Matisse (Matty) as he is entering the end of his journey.
It's heart wrenching to be certain, but then there is Teddy making us all laugh and insisting on sitting on your lap.
We let him get away with all manner of insanity and laugh about it.
It's where we are in life, when you arrive at the knowing place, of what matters and what doesn't.
Of what is important and what isn't.
My sister lost her dog of 16 years in 2020 when I lost Miles.
When you arrive at a certain age, with certain wisdom and life-happenings, everything looks different.
Everything matters, everything is more beautiful, everything is everything.
You understand life differently.
And so, you let a 90lb Teddy sit on your lap and smother you with love.
We took turns of course, but Teddy is enamored beyond compare with my sister.
They were attached the whole time.
Enjoying my garden and painting is my sanity, Matty is by my side today.
Every day counts more than ever right now.
That is the tale I have for you today, as I write from where the desert meets the forest.
I hope you are doing exceedingly well in your neck of the woods.
What I mean by that is, perhaps you are eating a cupcake under an apple tree.
Or something marvelously wonderful like that.
Well, I must run for now.
I promise to return soon.
Lot of Love,
Vanessa
