Hello creative ones,

Today, temperature in CT 102 degrees, seemed to me like the perfect day to pick flowers before they are past peak.

I am fortunate to have neighbors on both sides with beautiful gardens planted with love years ago. On one side, the woman has alzheimers and is in a home. I talk to her daughter every week when they come to mow the grass. She noticed that I have been weeding and feeding the flowers on the fence we share and told me I was welcome to any of the flowers I want. We have three vases filled with peonys!

My neighbor on the other side is a friend and client who bought Curly Grass at my gallery opening and has commissioned me to do a portrait of her husband in flower petals. She also told me to help myself anytime to any flowers I want.

I have a large vase of poppies, red and pink, dipping and straight, a sight to behold.

I cut many other flowers from her garden, Japanese Iris, purple and white, some blue droopy flowers, some giant see-through balls, two giant purple clematis.

As I said, I'm in flower heaven. Now the more difficult and time comsuming job of pressing each one, each petal on the poppies and peonys.

When the pressing is done, each flower type is put into a separate celophane envelope, and placed in a drawer. I try to organize by color.

It's all part of a process, with the end result being a beautiful picture. I feel lucky that I am able to create.

Live in the light,

Lisabeth

MEMBERS COMMENTS VIEWING 1 - 1 OUT OF 1 COMMENTS From: johnnybotts 06/10/2008 14:46:22 How cool to have beautiful "raw materials" right there!  Great.  In your art, do you do something special to keep the flower petals from fading or turning brown?