PS Whimsy - Behind the Brush: 2014-03-30

Wednesday, 2 April 2014

Blossoms, beginnings and endings

The early blossoms are starting to appear on the trees; they are pretty and delicate and add and subtle perfume to the air.

Delicate pinks, white and deeper blossoms herald the beginning of spring to me.

"The Blossom" is a poem by William Blake, published in Songs of Innocence in 1789:

“The artist is the confidant of nature, flowers carry on dialogues with him through the graceful bending of their stems and the harmoniously tinted nuances of their blossoms. Every flower has a cordial word which nature directs towards him.”

August Rodin

These blossoms remind me of fluffy little tutus:

Blossoms in the Springtime (song byVaughn Horton)

When I see blossoms in the springtime
I know that sweetheart time is here
My love that blossoms in the springtime
Blooms in my heart through all the year.

I love the blossoms in the springtime
Kissed by the sunshine and the rain
I love to hold you oh my darling
When kisses bloom in sweetheart's lane.

Never to flame all winter long
Then like the blossoms in the springtime
Burst with the first red robin's song.

I love the blossoms in the springtime
Kissed by the sunshine and the rain
I love to hold you oh my darling
When kisses bloom in sweetheart's lane.

Here is a video "Simon's Cat: Springtime"

I mentioned endings in my title. Earlier this week I was wandering in my garden when I found the tiny body of a hummingbird. It is one of the Anna's Hummingbirds that have been coming to our feeders year round for a few years. This one was a bit smaller than the others.

An Anna's Hummingbird is a medium sized hummingbird native to the west coast of North America. It has a reddish purple throat but here it appears black.

It was sad to see, this little fellow's ending was especially poignant to me because it is just the beginning of spring and new life.

On a happier note a bit later in the afternoon I got a picture of another Anna's at one of our feeders.

I have begun painting again, several things at once, but have only managed to finish one painting so far. It is painting of a bird I saw in Italy last summer, a black headed gull I think. A watercolour, no name, no signature, just a little study I did.