Blooming

Before I began painting much of the elements of nature, flowers, botanicals, and the like, I had never given much thought to how much time would be needed just waiting for things to bloom!  This is not something that can be rushed, coaxed or prodded generally, but just requires learning patience, which is also something watercolors demand as well, and something that was never one of my strong suits.  The word "bloom" in watercolor can be good or bad, it's when the water spreads and dries the pigment into an unexpected shape, which might be a beautiful surprise!  Or it might be a disaster.  In the case of working with colored pencils, you want to avoid the "bloom" of wax or oil build up that can end a piece of art before it's time.  (Patience my love!)

Capturing the many stages of a flower's progression has now become a fascination and fabulous mission to me instead. Waiting for the growth, enjoying the journey, and then watching as something blooms... when it's really good and ready, is always worth the wait.  My sketchbook / journal has become a fun place to record the journey and take notes of what happened along the way and when.  Then when something finally does bloom, I can be ready to jump into action and capture the moment!  I'm still working on the patience part, but I'm slowly learning the beauty of experiencing every step of the process.  I hope you're enjoying your summer...and your journey!