Wednesday, January 26, 2011

A Special Gift - Peach Lily and Perserverence - Pen and Wash

I was headed for bed when I suddenly felt this itch to sketch.  I had gone to the kitchen to make sure lights and coffee pot were off and this plant caught my attention sending me off to grab my journal book and marker pens.

This was just a little plant years ago that my middle son surprised me with for Mother's Day.  Number One middle son is not one for gift giving......cards yes but gifts no...........normally because he's not in a position to do so with money being stretched only so far.  Anyways......that Mother's Day I was totally taken back by him getting me this plant.

For years I struggled keeping it alive.  It grew funny and the leaves were forever turning brown on me forcing me to cut them off making it look funny.  And I came close to losing it completely a couple of times.  The idea of losing this plant just tore at me inside.

Last year it started growing but sending out these funny long side shoots causing the plant to topple over.  I would have to brace it against something just for the leafy stalks to stand up.  Finally I potted it in this rectangular planter box securing the shoots or funny growing stalks in the soil with metal clips.  I also placed small rocks to anchor or help hold the stalks upright.  I think what's happened is the plant sent off new roots from those areas of contact with the soil and this is now how it's growing......spreading out.

What grabbed me tonight............it's flowering for the first time.
So this is a sketch not so much for accuracy but instead a recording in my visual diary of something that means the world to me.

All Tombow markers with some direct line work on paper (using both tips) but mostly the ink scribbled on acrylic adding just enough water to make pools of ink and applying with a round brush.  Added in my Moleskine Watercolor Journal Book.

Once completed, I finally went to bed and slept like a baby.


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