Signs of summer

The robins are back this summer to build their nest in the big spruce tree.  Their arrival coincided with the arrival of a super crop of dandelions.  I spotted this pair outside the kitchen window.  They were hopping among the dandelions listening for worms brought out by the rain. Sure signs that summer is on it's way.
This is one of a bunch of little paintings that I was not happy with. After a lot of thinking, I decided to try and fix the ones I was discouraged by.  Walking away from them was an option, but it wouldn't teach me anything or help me become better in the future. I didn't like the background of this one - it was too light and the flowers didn't show up.  So I darkened the grass.  Then I realized that the birds' legs were wrong in some way. They bend back and not forward so I washed them out and repainted the grass and the legs. I like it better now and I learned that not everything in watercolor is irreversible.  Mistakes can be fixed.  I just need to be observant and unflinching in the analysis of what's not working, and creative in how to fix it.

Gather ye roses...

Lots of rain and sunshine colluded to create this Hansa rose bush bursting with blossoms.  There are so many that the branches droop gracefully under the weight.  The air is full of scent and the buzzing of the bumblebees as they stagger around from flower to flower almost drunk with the pollen.  There was even a hummingbird who was drawn in from who knows where by the intoxicating aroma. This is one of the reasons that I really love to garden.  Sometimes the world can be an ugly place, but the garden reminds us of the beauty and diversity all around us.


Watercolor and micron pen.