Friday, November 7, 2008

Forget me not

They should have reached their destination by now, in Sydney, Australia, so I think it's safe to post this little commission I was working on earlier this week. Forget-me-nots and honeysuckle to remind a friend's daughter of her gran, and her mum, when she's so far away. Hope you like them Sally, if you're reading this! Such lovely associations of weddings and family, scents, places and most of all people...
I found myself getting almost botanically illustrative with the forget-me-nots (although I could never reach that sort of perfection), which I had 'live' to work from. I think because they're so tiny, I couldn't splash them off loosely - but the honeysuckle was from a variety of photographs, as I couldn't hunt down any live models in a hurry (they had a plane to catch). They're one of my favourites too - that heavenly scent takes me straight back to childhood summers - and I think I must plant another one, after the last one we had outside our back door was destroyed by some plumbing excavations some time ago.

6 comments:

Vivienne said...

They are adorable. Both have overrun bits of my garden here. The honeysuckle still does, but does not bloom much, and I must re-introduce forget me not... having been instructed by Dimity to keep it going. Very special flowers.

Gillian said...

So pretty, C! These would make beautiful cards too.

Joan Sandford-Cook said...

Hi Cathy - found you via Sandy Maudlin's blog. Quite excited when I found you were from South Africa as I spent 5 weeks there with friends in Port Alfred last year and travelled over 3,000 miles sketching my way through landscapes, flowers, animals and people. Had a marvelous time. Will never forget it. Love your honeysuckle. If you want to peep at my blog there is a label for my South African trip.

Cathy Gatland said...

I see honeysuckle is classified as a weed in Aus, VP - but would be lovely to have forget me nots for Dimity in your garden! (I've just had your little grandsons to visit!! Too sweet!)

Thanks Gillian - I think you should be my business manager;o)

Hello Joan - glad you had a good visit here - your sketches are beautiful. I wish I'd sketched through all our travels around SA over the years - hard with a family in tow! Port Alfred is so pretty, though has mushroomed into a very big town since we spent part of our honeymoon there and it was a tiny fishing village - Hope you'll be back some day!

Joan Sandford-Cook said...

Thank yo so much Cathy for leaving your lovely comment and invitation on my African scenery post... and for taking the time to search it out!! Yes, my hosts told me how much Port Alfred had grown since they first discovered it some 20 years ago. .. but it still has charm and wonderful beaches and sand dunes!!.

Anonymous said...

Two of my favourite spring flowers! beautiful work...I enjoy these spring paintings of yours, the colours so vivid and gay, clean and sparkling.
ronell