:: beauty outside the bedroom window ::

It's a holiday here today in Hawke's Bay - and felt a bit like a Saturday morning...open the curtains, get a warm beverage, slip back into bed, grab the knitting...look up and see... the beauty right there!

There is always something lovely to view - the ornamental cherry tree in the background is a clear indicator of the seasons, lovely green leaves darken through Summer, turn a rainbow of warm shades in the Autumn, then fall, giving us the beauty of it's Winter bare bones exposed and Spring is heralded by a ridiculous amount of frilly white blossom fluttering perilously on it's extremities.

This 'Mutabilis' (a Chinese rose) languished for about 5 years before I felt brave enough to tame it by trimming back to a stronger framework...I'm a learner pruner.

For about 3 months now I have looked out the windows in the morning and worried that I went a little too far...but lately, to my relief, there has been a lovely burst of growth on the fenceline and now we have this array of stunning blooms upon which to gaze.

I particularly like the way it begins as an orange, almost red bud, opens to a pretty coppery-apricot and lastly outstretches as a delightful pink - the combination of all three on it's boughs being truly beautiful.

:: what has been keeping my fingers and brain busy ::

Phoebe's buff beauty rose...

I love roses, drawing and beauty and this is about 40+ hours of it from me.  The rose is special as it is a lovely, gently-apricot-coloured old-fashioned musk 'Buff Beauty' rose growing steadily over the fence at Possum Bend in the Hawke's Bay, on our property there.  It is very special because it is Phoebe's favourite rose and the photo I drew from was taken by her, although I composed the image for drawing like this, from her photo.
Much was learned through this piece of art...including unexpected physical pain from some rather extended drawing sessions! It is A2 size - so, decently large - and we intend framing it for the home. I did most of the drawing in 2B and 4B and then used a nice smooth graphite PROGRESSO pencil for the dark, glossy leaves - had to darken them three times in three separate sweeps! (oh, I mean, passes!)
Became a labour of love...and in the end...dedication!
Funny thing that happened:  I worked on it the other way - portrait (vertical) and as soon as it was finished I turned it 90 degrees to the landscape view as above and suddenly decided it was much better this way.  Well, I think that was funny!

:: my favourite flower ::

one of the many reasons living in this part of the world is so pleasant...and especially at this time of year...warm and not too hot, not too wet...YET...and the fragrant blooms of frangipani bursting open - joy on a tree!  I love that Phoebe found the monstera leaf and laid it into the bowl - I was simply going for floating some flowers...together it is so much more...

:: beauty ::

...just because...

.

:: ordinary yellow things ::

for some this may be a little odd, ok, maybe a little more than a little odd...and yet it is significant for me today.  Today I was struck by this little grouping of ordinary 'things with yellow'. For me, I love to see beauty, colour, patterns, texture, rhythms and to notice the beauty and colour of ordinary everyday stuff is a satisfying thing for me.  Fulfilling, even.  Small stuff and it is satisfying - I'm easy to please, really.
And, lately, I haven't been noticing these things...life has had a few challenges, a few worries, concerns and doubts...downs, plus...it's rained here for weeks (it seems - or maybe I'm playing the Eeyore card, here?!) and I think we've been in a faster and faster groove - hurry is not love, they say.  + I've been living inside my head a little too much -  getting stuck in conversations with myself - you know those ones - the ones where there is no instant answer - and around they go again and again....
...so today was a turning point - small, ordinary yellow things, by the front door - and smiling again - the happiness of discovering this little grouping.

Misty day in Morere

I will own this - I would have loved it if
Phoebe was as bewitched by these incredible drops and droplets hanging on everything we looked at as if all the fairies had left their jewels out all over the place in some grand fairy jewellry display - but it was just me!








She was much more excited to get on
and feed the neighbour's pigs and cats for him!

Mavis, Hope and Kevin...