Art

We are nearing the end of Summer 2012 and I mourn every beautiful Vermont summer afternoon that gets away from me. Because of what is perhaps an obsessive anxiety about the passing of time (which is always exacerbated by gorgeous weather and my favorite season), I have lately taken measures to lap up every drop of sunshine in the tiny outdoor space allotted to me behind my apartment...nearly scorching myself or wilting with thirst in the process. And this is why:

Meet my garden. It isn't much, I know, but it is my little corner of the world, my "bit of earth". Here are a few more pictures to familiarize yourself with my leafy (and stemmy, and viney), right-now-equivelent-to children:

 Peppers

 Strawberries (!!!) and Succulents

Herbs and a few potted flowers from spring.
...Okay, but here is the real reason I want to be in my little garden zone:

This corner. This is my cosmo corner.

See? I know, I know...I managed to grow like five or six whole plants...but they were grown from the seeds I collected with last year's cosmos, which I planted specifically for my own wedding bouquet. Unfortunately, my cosmos wilted in the sweltering heat of a Florida May afternoon on the way to my Grandmommy's (even after directly putting the stems in a glass of water) the day of the wedding. So, they got left out after all. However, the ones that continued to bloom throughout the summer put out seeds which I collected and moved from my old apartment in Florida to Vermont, where I now happily eye them from my wooden step on the driveway. It also just so happens that they are my favorite flower!...atleast for now. I was completely wowed by the fantastic display of cosmos in City Market's garden at the beginning of the summer, which I couldn't help taking a gazillion pictures of everytime I went for groceries (thoroughly annoying my husband). But here, I will only share two.

 

RIGHT?! They're gorgeous! Carefree, whimsical, bright, far more delicate-looking than they actually are...I just love them. And now, after trying to center a wedding bouquet around them last year, and continuing to watch them bloom all through our newlywed-honeymoon phase, they will forever symbolize summer for me!

 

This brings me to the actual art part of this post. I tried out some new paint supplies in the spring on some sketches and watercolor pansies from my pots in the back, trying to coax the return of any past artistic ability I may have once had as a kid with free time. I wasn't sorely let down. In fact, they made a well-received little Thank-you-for-bestowing-onto-me-some-of-your-creativity Mommy present. It also inspired me to try out my gaining skill on other shrubbery. The cosmos, therefore, had to be put to use!

 

So, here it is. My first attempt at cosmos. I call it...wait for it...Cosmos.

 It isn't actually entirely finished. It definitely needs more detail in the leaves and some sort of undecided background color/texture...but basically, that's it.

 Occupying the steps...



Co-habiting the sunshiney section of my garden, with the real flowers:)
And now, before I end this post and say goodbye to you and hello again to the balmy outdoors, I leave you with this:

See you next time!