Joy List Monday -- a day outside (including painting!)

When we first moved into our house (it will be 8 years in about a week), one of the best things was the fact that we had a yard and a deck. During the nice weather we would spend just about every waking hour outside. It was a luxury to have a fenced in backyard for our dog after having lived in a 4th floor apartment with him for 5 years. Having my very own yard, filled with gardens is still a luxury for me and one of my greatest sources of Joy. Today I spent most of the day outside. Hiking with Matthias and the dogs at two of our favorite parks and then just hanging out in the garden. I even painted outside today, first snipping flowers from around the garden as my models.




I was tired and hot from our miles and miles of hiking and it was fun to sit and paint surrounded by flowers.




With a certain four-legged friend in the grass beside me.




I didn't finish the clay pot, but I did finish the rose and blackberry flowers.




Quick practice for painting the more complicated roses. They keep opening, the roses. All over.




Sharifa Asma, which may possibly be my favorite. It smells divine.




And Golden Celebration. Lovely, but slightly less fragrant. Both David Austin varieties.

I found a surprise in one of my gardens today. A red rose where no red rose was planted. It had shot up from the root stock of a grafted rose. I tried to photograph it, but the red was just too vivid. I will try again tomorrow. The branch is filled with buds, so I hate to cut it down, but I guess I should. I'll wait till the flowers are finished, though.

Flowers. Definitely a recurring theme in my Joy lists. They're there again today.




  • a day spent outside
  • my garden + roses
  • the Joy exchange celebration
  • 2 custom Etsy orders
  • an art trade
But maybe I should have been more general and said "flowers" instead of garden and roses. Or just tagged on another bit of Joy because this orchid is certainly bringing be Joy!




I bought it last week at a plant sale at the Rockefeller Greenhouse for a whole $5. It's gigantic and the flower buds on all those flower stalks are starting to pop.




I think I need to paint them.

What's bringing you Joy this week?

Comments

  1. The way my yarns are starting to go together in color combinations that make my mouth water. The pictures that seem to jump right into the camera...just being outdoors, rain or not...so many things!

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  2. What a beautiful garden you have! Flowers, flowers, flowers... in paint and pics, you brought me joy today. :)

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  3. Wonderful photos Anne. The roses look delicious. My joy list today is:

    Getting the bedding dry on the line and back on to the bed - seeing my weight go down - my son feeling better after being ill for a few days - lighting new scented candles - seeing pictures of your garden.

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  4. So much beauty its enough to turn your joy list novel sized :-)

    My joy list this week would include: a wonderful Saturday of creativity, children, friends and fun celebrating the passing of the Olympic flame in a memory making carnival atmosphere. And my hugely exciting news - after two years of not being able to because of medical reasons, I'm driving again!! It is so helping my mood to know that I have the freedom to take myself out. I can only go short distances because of getting tired etc. but I've enjoyed a few trips and am so grateful for regaining a bit of independence.

    Hugs
    Kat :-) XX

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