Wednesday, September 29, 2010

A little wisteria

That sounds like a cross between wistfulness and hysteria, kind of how I'm feeling!... life full of distractions and obligations, so little time for painting - last weekend I was supposed to join our fledgling sketchers group and go sketching at a big gardening centre, but was slain by a stomach bug that started on Wednesday and carried on wracking my innards for the next five days. Ugh - anyway, better now but only have this sketch of my lovely new wisteria that I planted last year and which greeted us with scented blossom and bumble bees when we got home from our trip away. I have been warned and reminded by friends that they can run rampant and take over garden, eaves and countryside, but I'm hoping to train this beauty to just shade and decorate my studio doorway.

11 comments:

Teresa said...

Lovely, Cathy! Wisteria is so beautiful... though invasive as your friends noted :-)

Joan Sandford-Cook said...

Adored all you skeches on your trip to Cape Peninsular. Kept checking to see if you had sketched the same subjects as I did on my trip. I know a sketch in the pub could be anywhere, but I particularly love this one with the cane chairs. .. now over to today's post the WYSTERIA.
One of the most difficult flowers to portray I think ... your lovely free washes do the trick magnificently.
I'm working hard on sketching of late but would be overawed if I could get anywhere near your quality of work. Would love some lessons on those pure lines.

Sandra Busby said...

You have been busy since my last visit! I love the sketches around the harbour - They are so cheery and colourful, but the Rhino is Just amazing! Fabulous texture on the skin - really effective :0)

Debbie said...

Cathy...... despite your nasty bug I am so impressed with your Wisteria. I agree they are hard to capture, but you did brilliantly, you can certainly see they are Wisteria blooms. Glad you tried this! I also love all your Cape sketches I recall most of your locations....

RH Carpenter said...

I'm glad you're feeling better - stomach bugs can be the worst! I'm envious of anyone who can grow it and I don't think I'd mind having it all over, along with lilacs and pussy willows and all those other things I cannot grow. I like your painting of this but perhaps long for a darker background on this one? Just MHO, of course.

Erna said...

I enjoy your sketches! Hope the Wisteria exceeds your expectations year after year! They are such a joy!

Cathy Gatland said...

Hi Teresa - it is, and blooms for such a short time, but gorgeous when it does.

Thanks Joan - I went to check again where you sketched... we did spend a fantastic morning at Kirstenbosch, but did a lot of walking - no sketches. I'm hoping to do some watercolours from photos I took there one day.

Thanks Sandra - that texture was rubbed from an old briefcase that had a vaguely rhino-skin-like finish!

Hi Debbie, I think I could do them better if I tried again, but thank you!

Thanks for your input Rhonda, and I think you're right - I tried for the right colour of the wall behind them, mixing viridian and winsor violet, but couldn't get it dark enough with those two fugitives! Maybe I'll put another layer on...

Thank you Erna! Nice to find another SA blogger - will be visiting soon!

Helen Percy Lystra said...

Sorry about the bug. The wisteria is lovely as is but would also be nice with a darker background. The Rhino is wonderful too but my favorites are the two waterfront sketches.

Marie Theron said...

They truly know how to scramble, Cathy. My children in Pretoria needed to cover a large entertainment area, and with wisteria it took no time at all to fill a pergola. The flowers dry down and fall on the ground, so on a windy day we find the house and dogs, furniture etc full of blossoms. Your sketch is really capturing their fleeting beauty!

Art with Liz said...

A beautiful sketch of a beautiful, wild rampant flower Cathy!

Carol King said...

I like your lovely purple wisteria. You did a beautiful sketch of a delicate flower.