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Tag: pen and ink

The small delight of the cherry blossom

The small delight of the cherry blossom

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Think of spring and we think of daffodils, tulips- and blossom. There is something about blossom which brings joy to us all. The delicate colours, the fragility, and the way it explodes on what were until recently bare branches.

Our old cherry tree is now a mass of blossom – a particular delight as the tree looked dead and we weren’t expecting any blossom at all this year.  I find myself lingering at the kitchen sink rather longer than usual to enjoy it while it lasts.

The Japanese see cherry blossom as a symbol for the ephemeral nature of life. May our lives, however long, all have moments as full and beautiful as the cherry blossom. 

the elegance of the palm tree

the elegance of the palm tree

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Palm trees have long held a fascination for me. The rough trunks, the way the branches sway in the breeze like fans, and the fact that they tend to be found in hot and often exotic places.

I have seen a number of palm trees recently, and been struck by how different they are from each other. The trunks are all textured, but different.  Some of them are full of lumps and bumps. Some have diamond patterns that  almost look like huge pine cone. Others just have vertical lines. I don’t know which are which, but I find them all intriguing. 

A quick look at Wikipedia tells me “Many common products and foods are derived from palms” which is quite astounding. I also learn there are over 2,500 species – so many more to discover and draw. 

The small delight of the toxic hellebore

The small delight of the toxic hellebore

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We were recently given a present of a beautiful hellebore. At the moment we are enjoying it as a houseplant, but it will really be happier outdoors, and we’ll plant it outside as soon as the cold snap finishes. 

Meanwhile I’m enjoying having it indoors, and having the chance to draw it without getting cold! I love its thick, creamy petals, and seeing the seed heads develop.

Hellebores are lovely to have in the garden.  Their flowers, unusually, do not drop, but gradually fade to pale green and eventually dry, thus seeming to flower for months, from winter to spring.

The French know the hellebore as Rose de noёl (Christmas rose) or Rose d’hiver (Winter rose). We in the UK also tend to call it the Christmas rose, or sometimes the Lenten rose. Hellebores are not related to the rose family, but the similarity of shape with the wild rose is clear. 

Although beautiful, all parts of the plant are toxic. According to Wikipedia, the ancient Greeks reportedly used hellebore to poison the water supply during the siege of Kirrha (585BC) leaving the occupants of the city too weak to defend it.

The small delight of waiting

The small delight of waiting

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This week’s small delight is an Amaryllis. I enjoyed looking at and drawing the curves of the leaves and the layers around the top of the bulb.

But there is also delight in the waiting for what is to come. The shoot, only about 4 inches high at the moment, has much growth to put on during Advent.  And then there will be the splendour of two bright red flowers at Christmas (I hope!). 

The small delight of catching up with a friend

The small delight of catching up with a friend

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Drawing of two friends at a cafe

What could be nicer than an hour or so catching up with a friend? Especially over a coffee.

Talking things over usually helps us put them in perspective. 

Taking time out of the day to meet a friend seems such a simple and natural thing to do – but somehow we appreciate it even more after the isolation of the Covid years.

When I was a child, it was rare to see a café in England with tables and chairs outside. Happily our greater familiarity with other countries – and possibly warmer summers – mean many cafés now have outdoor seating. Being outside on a nice day definitely seems to increase the pleasure!

Small delight: Star Jasmine

Small delight: Star Jasmine

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Back to nature for the latest small delight, and the beautiful white Star Jasmine which covers the wall by our front door. 

The flowers do indeed look like little stars – or to my eyes like the windmills on sticks we had as children.

I love the way these five-petalled flowers grow in clusters from a central point making a scented ball of flowers, like a natural pomander, and the contrast of the shiny dark green leaves, like a bow on the end of a posy.

According to Wikipedia, the name ‘Jasmine’ comes from old French via Persian. After the Muslim conquest of Persia it was borrowed as yāsamīn. Through Arabic, the name entered Ottoman Turkish and then to Middle French around 1570. The word was first used in English in the 16th century.

A pretty name for a pretty flower with a beautiful scent.

The small delight of an empty box

The small delight of an empty box

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I love boxes. Wooden boxes, metal boxes, empty chocolate boxes, boxes with little drawers.

Recently my husband was given a lovely present of wine and chocolates in a wonderful wooden box – which he of course gave to me! This was a very special box, with a divider down the middle, a lid which slides satisfyingly into place, and a thick rope handle. A great delight.

I spent a happy few hours sanding it and painting it, and it is now a pale grey with a bright blue interior, which will give me pleasure every time I take off the lid and encounter anew the surprise of the intense blue.

This got me wondering what it is about empty boxes that is so appealing. Children are often said to prefer the cardboard box the toy came in to the toy itself. The box perhaps stimulates the imagination more than the contents do.

So what is the appeal of the empty box for the adult? I think it’s something to do with potential. An empty space waiting to be filled. All those lovely things which could live inside, whether paintbrushes, pencils, ribbons, buttons – or something not yet thought of. This could be just the thing to keep…??

By the way, if you are anywhere near Salisbury, you might like to see some of my paintings at Fisherton Mill Gallery during July https://jennymonds.com/art-exhibition-july-2023/

To the river!

To the river!

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River! that in silence windest

Through the meadows, bright and free,

Till at length thy rest thou findest

In the bosom of the sea

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow To the river

We had a morning of sunshine last week! I grabbed my sketchbook and pens and headed for the river – and I’m so glad I did, as it was wet again the following day.

A short stop at this point on the river was reviving to the soul.

There is something about being by water which is instantly calming. Perhaps it’s the sense of timelessness and steady inevitability of the water flowing past. The river isn’t shaken by anything, it just keeps flowing. It may be lower or higher, there may be an obstacle to flow around, but flow it will, day after day, providing habitat and nourishment for wildlife, and pause for thought and rest for those who stop to watch.

Heady Jasmine

Heady Jasmine

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I’m so enjoying the Jasmine on the front of the house. The intoxicating perfume wafts in every time I open the door.

The white flowers remind me of those whirling windmills we had as children.

Apparently the name comes to us (via Arabic and Latin) from the Persian ‘Yasameen’ and means ‘ gift from God’ which seems very apt.