A day outside

Yesterday was a great day! I have been cooped up with my bundles of joy now for a few weeks, and even though the weather has been exceptionally good and sunny (enabling us to spend a lot of time outside) I was getting desperate for a break. Sometimes I just need to get out of the house and away from the permanent clutter I am trying t fight on a daily basis, and away from the bickering and fighting and shouting (It's mine! No mine! ). But the last few weeks there was always something that stopped me from going, always some major task or occurence that needed urgent attention, plus some very sudden other demands on our time that we had no influence over. So busy and stressfull!

But yesterday morning my awesome husband told me to go off for the day and to do it quickly or I might get stuck at home again due to some emergency, real or imaginary...

So I took my drawing supplies and left, in search of a coffee shop that was already open on a sunday morning at 9:30. No such luck. I found an open supermarket and got myself a can of baked beans (I ate them cold in the car, straight from the can, that's how hungry I was), rolls, a huge mixed salad and some cooked ham. After that some coffee (not half bad), and while I was munching away in my car a thought struck me. Why not make the journey to an old castle and gardens in a neighbouring town? The weather looked a little doubtful, but I had wanted to visit the gardens without children in tow for years now, so why not?

The journey was good, but a good bit of rain so I was starting to have some doubts. But the minute I had paid admission and stepped outside into the park the sun came out and the weather turned bright and sunny with just a perfect breeze. Yay, lucky me. The weather was so good I even got a little sunburn.

And here is what I did that day. for about 6 hours I just walked around, never visited one spot twice and drew to my hearts content. Most of the things I drew I found out the names or already knew them.

The first thing that captured my eyes was a stem for some sort of rose, no flowers on it so I have no idea what the rose looks like. But the thorns on the stem where the most brilliant thorns ever!

Next I was stopped not by my eyes but by a wonderful scent in the warm air and I found a huge Yasmin bush like one I used to have in my own garden.

And then on my way into the formal part of the garden I saw the most queer plant ever. It had little 3 chambered hollow seedpods. I know they where hollow because some had fallen to the ground and when I stepped on one it popped. I found a name plaque on one of them: Stapylea bumalda, usually at home in Asia.

These took about 3 hours in total, drawing AND walking around, so I had my huge mixed salad and rolls and ham for lunch. Mjam! (I did not draw my lunch)

Next up is a Calla Lilly from the formal part of the garden, I know they are not unusual but I don't have amy in my own garden (yet) so I drew it.

And some lovely though nearly faded Rhododendron flowers.

And last a Poppy, I love Poppies, in bloom and after. The seedpods look awesome with furry stars on top and I hope the ones I have been given for my garden will survive my kids.

Drawing outside and in public was a very new experience to me, when I sit in a coffee shop and draw noone really pays any heed, but outside people notice very much and they will come up and peek over your shoulder. It took all my concentration not to let that make me too nervous. I also realised that if I want to do that again (yes, please) I will have to modify my mobile art backpack to accomodate a bigger size drawing pad. I had set out with a different thing in mind and so my watercolour pad was huge! (A4) My bag only takes half that size. Also it was tricky handling my roll of Inktense pencils. I wanted to practise watercolour when I set out but I was not confident enough to do it plein air. Instead I tried to concentrate to draw realistic (not whimsical) and keep outlines to a minimum. I tend to fence all my colours into an outline and I feel that takes away dimension. So definitely stuff to work with. I also took plenty of pictures and until the next time I am there (at a different time of the year with different flowers) I habe plenty of references to work from...