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To

to whose kiiull) interest and help

she owes so much, this little book

is gratefully and aftectionately

inscribed by

Flower Pictures.

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l^. Ite Vw- .J- ^ '

•*•. •>- .?-W >; ,

NEW YO«K

botanicai

QAkUHN

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i^'DJ^^-^VDiril

Editor of The Girls 0^^n Paper and Woman^ Magazine.

CD

Thkse articles were first published in The Girfs Oivii Papci- and Woinans Magazine. They were started with the idea of answering under one general heading a number of queries that had come to me through the post, from readers who were anxious to know how to paint flowers, and yet were living out of reach of Art Schools and Art Teachers. But the first article proved so exceedingly popular that, instead of satisfying the inquiring correspondent, it onl\- whetted her appetite for more. Where the reader had sent one quer\- before, she now sent half-a-dozen all arising out of her increased interest in the subject of flower-painting.

And matters were further com[)licateil whenever we reproduced one of Miss Angell's Mower Pictures on the co\-er of the magazine : thousands of readers were immediately fired with the ambition to paint similarly beautiful groups and flower studies. And of course they wrote to the Editor to know how it was to be done !

I asked Miss Angell if she could give us another article, and she did so. Then we set to, and discussed a third and a fourth, and as we went on we saw yet further possibilities.

I'^ach article found an increasing number of admiring readers, until by the time we had got to the end of the series, it seemed advisable to issue them in book form, as our back numbers were out of print.

I think this book will appeal, not only to the amateur artist, but to

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Foreword

ever)" flower-lover, irrespective of ability to draw a leaf or paint a petal. The mere faculty for reproducing on paper or canvas what is placed before us is not everj'thing. The ability to see the beauty that awaits discovery in the wayside weed, to feel the glory of the colour in the depth of a rose, to find delight in the severe outline of a blackthorn branch or in the grace of the hazel catkins, or the ruggedness of an apple bough — these are satisfactions that cannot be measured by an ordinary rule, nor defined by ordinary speech. They are worth more to us individually than the most faultless technique.

To love the little things that God has made cannot fail to bring us a step nearer to the Creator. And Miss Angell's " talks " help us to see these little things — the ground-ivy flower, the jasmine twig, the crimson on the back of the rose-leaf, the beauty of the dry dead stalks in the November hedgerow — just the commonplaces that we might so easily pass unnoticed, the commonplaces that become wonderments when we do notice them ; the little things that fill us with amazement at the immensity of their beauty, once we really look at them. The trouble with so many of us is that we simply do not sec.

For those who not only have the seeing eye and the appreciative mind, but also the responsive hand, this book will be a mine of delight and a storehouse of helpfulness. The little bits and fragmentary sketches will suggest so much, and induce even the most difiident to try their powers ; while the finished pictures give us an ideal to strive after, and show us how far removed is the flower-painting of to-day from the stiff, unnatural, younglady-like productions of our grandmothers' daj-.

Two pictures by Hayward Young are also included in this volume, showing the Flower Garden in Italy and in Holland.

\

" '■f^v

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'Neath cloistered boug	hs, each	floral	beU
that swingeth
And tolls its perfume	on the p	assing	air.
Makes Sabbath in th	e fields,	and	ever
ringeth
A call to prayer.
Your voiceless lips, O	Flowers,	are	iving
preachers,
Each cup a pulpit, an	d each leaf a book.
Supplying to my fancy	numerous	teachers
From loneliest nook.
Were I, O God, in	rhurchless	land	s re-
maining.
Far from all voice of	teachers	or divines.
My soul would find.	in Flowers of	Thy
ordaining.
Priests, sermons, shrines !
	Ho,	xce Sm	'th. .
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fades the last 3ng streak of

About the in»i squa

then roots the Diets blow.

When the Editor asked me to send a little article on painting violets, I was very pleased and proud at the prospect of writing on so delightful a subject. But now, as I sit with a formidable new writing-pad before me, and ^ a nicely-pointed pencil ready to begin our talk, I must

frankly own my pleasant task confronts me with difficulties I had totally unforeseen.

" How I paint violets I " Must I confess — and thereby perhaps earn the scorn of my readers on our ver)' first introduction — that realfy I don't know} I simply look at them with loving but very critical eyes, try to study the form and construction of my charming little models, every line and turn of the dainty petals, and then endeavour, honestly and humbly, to put my impressions on paper.

I remember a girl of my acquaintance running after me in the street one day, saying, " Oh, Miss Angell, will you please tell me how to make a green for rose leaves ? " And I think her respect for me as a flower portrait painter considerably diminished because I had not a formula (like a chemist's prescription, or a cooking recipe) to hand over on the spot I

A green for rose leaves ! Aye, or for violet leaves either ! An earnest and intelligent observation will show us their infinite variety of

&

•:»:%'*'

Violet! sweet Violet! Thine eyes arc lull of tears; Are they wet. Even yet With the thouiShts ol other years? Or with uladness are they lull, For the ni(!ht so beautiful. And lonUinU tor those lar-olf spheres

a,Vj:oi;i;y

SJJ li

» sent thee.

Violet! dear Violet!

Thy blue eyes arc only wet

With joy and love of Hin\ \ And for the fulfillini< sense Of that Ulad obedience

Which made thee all that Nature meant thee.

colour, a variety not only in themselves, but also largely dependable on the weather, atmosphere, their surroundings, and last, but not least, on the temperament of the student himself, for we do not all see with one pair of eyes, and __ it is well for our individuality that this should be so.

Flower- painting is a most delightful study, and within the reach of us all. Those who are fortunate enough to live in the country can find most charming material for their sketches in the hedgerows, while for a few pence the town- dweller can purchase beautiful blooms in the street.

" Oh," I hear some one say, " but I have had no lessons, and one must have a few hints from a good master, just to show one how to start ! "

Never forget this, you have a great teacher — the greatest Art teacher of all time — the instructor of the giants of ancient Art, as well as the leader and guide of the humblest student of to-day — Nature herself! We are all, the highest and the lowest, her pupils, though in different classes, according to our capabilities, perseverance, and natural aptitude.

Although I would not for one moment depreciate the advantage of help and criticism from an experienced artist, I repeat emphatically that much can be accomplished without any such outside assistance. We are even more likely to attain originality by working our way through our own observation, and by struggling with our difficulties, than by slavishly following the method and style of any particular school.

No doubt an " easier way " is to call at your local art shop, and, after turning over a folio of Studies (some indifferent, some really beautiful reproductions of extremely clever work), select one that appeals to you, and then, b\' slavishly copying each petal, and every brush-mark, produce a copy that is reallj- very pretty, and very like the original.

Relatives as a rule are lenient critics, and the chorus of flatter)- singing the praises of your beautiful "apple blossom," "wild rose," or whatever it is, is very pleasant to hear, and urges you to fresh efforts in the same direction ; but can you tell me you have learnt anj-thing by this ? Have you approached the least bit nearer to Nature and her moods ? You .p, have simply been using the brains of ^ other people, and what is that but the worst form of piracy ?

Therefore let us leave our copies behind, and go straight to dear Nature herself for our inspiration. To do good,

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honest work, we must be full of enthusiasm for our subject, and who would not be enthusiastic on a bright ;\Iarch morning, when the joy and vitality of awakening spring, the thrill of delight at the passing of winter, is coursing through our veins ?

Following the advice of the famous cookery book, to " first catch your hare," let us start in quest /

of our little models. Let us don our thickest boots and shortest skirts,

and, armed with a basket, and an ancient pair of leather gloves in which we may grub delightfully in damp earth regardless of consequences, brave the mudd}- lane, with its wild, untrimmed hedgerows, high banks, and deep ditches.

There, in a tangle of frost-tinted ivy, red-brown beech leaves, feathery moss, prickly brambles, and lichen-coated twigs, we shall surely find the objects of our search.

How beautiful they are in their natural environment ! We feel a certain sadness in taking them, however tenderly and lovingly, away from so much beauty. But the wind is cold and searching, the rain- clouds are hurriedly chasing each other over the cold, clear sky, and, however anxious we might be to make a study of the dear things as they grow, it would hardly be wise to risk the consequences, especiallj' as, to be on a level with our subject, our feet would probably ha\e to be immersed in the boggy water at the bottom of the ditch.

What an infinite variety of colour we see in these little denizens of the hedge bank, from creamy white through delicate shadings of mauve, to deep purply blue !

And let us notice, for future reference, the wonderful effect the

changing sky has on them, perhaps more especially on the leaves. That

great inky rain-cloud throws a cold grey shadow, and everything reflects

a sombre hue ; but now the raindrops have fallen, and the bright

spring sunshine beams forth again, the violet leaves,

glistening with liquid diamonds, are dancing with delight

in the breeze, a golden green that would defy the

brightest mi.xture of emerald and aureolin our palettes

could afford.

Do not be in too great a hurry to make " pictures " ; we must walk, or even crawl, before we can run ; and a few careful drawings in pencil, or studies of single flowers in colour, will teach us more in drawing than an elaborate group. A musical student would not dream of attempting the grand chords of Beethoven,

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or the delicite, intricate harmonies of Chopin, without a pre- liminary training in simpler studies ; we must learn our >iotfs before we can embellish them with expression and tone.

If we start an ambitious painting, we are led away by the difficulties and delights of colour and composition, and so are apt to disregard the drawing, without which our work cannot possibly be convincing or true to Nature. The skilled artist who can produce a fine study with broad touches of colour and wide effects of light and shade, could never have attained this apparent case and " slickness " of execution without many and many an hour of patient stud)-.

But here we are at home again, and if we arc not sim[)ly bursting with enthusiasm to begin our study, wc had better follow Mr. Punch's advice — "Don't," for "without enthusiasm nothing can be accomplished in .Art."

I will premise, at this season of the \'car, when evcr\thing is being overhauled and " redded up," that our colour boxes have had a careful wash and " spring-clean," and that those pans of colour that have taken unto themselves a gritt\% grimy surface have been banished for fresh ones. The following list might be useful to those who contemplate restocking their boxes : Rose Madder, Orange Vermilion, Light Red, Brown Pink, Cadmium, Aureolin, Lemon Yellow, Indian Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Raw Sienna, Raw Umber, \'and\ke Hrown, Cobalt l^lue, Antwerp Blue, I'^merald Green, Mauve.

.A fresh china palette is a great delight, but if you do not possess one, and the japanned lid of your box presents an aged and " mottled " appearance, that defies even salt to remove, borrow an old white plate from the kitchen instead. See that your water-pot is frcshlj- filled, for the brightness and purity of your study depends largely on keeping your colours pure and clean. Our outfit must also include some fresh white blotting-paper and a small sponge, onh' to be used in case of dire necessity !

.A side light from the window of your ordinar\- sitting-room will give \()U a very nice effect of light and shade ; be careful, however, unless, like mj-self, you are left- handed, to let the light fall from the /eft side, so as not to have the shadow of your hand on your work.

Now notice very carefully the construction of the flowers. They are composed of five petals, two narrow ones standing up at the back, two (wing-like) at the sides, and a broad one below, curving up at the base to form the curious little iiood at the back of the flower, surrounded by delicate sepals of green. If wc look deep down

'io1ct5

They tell a history of <\ They open with the earliest breath of sprinii; Lead a sweet life of perfume, dew and lijiht, And if they perish, perish with a sitth, Delicious as that life.

L. /■:. l.nn.icw.

■, '> *

J^^^. *>• ^*. vJ . ''

*>- '^' *•

into the heart of the flower, the bright httle orange " eye " gives us a beautiful contrast with the purple tones, and we must notice as well how the petals pale at the base, and how beautifulh' they are veined with purple.

Now begin, ver\- lightly, With a soft pencil to make }-our sketch. First indicate the general pro- portions and direction of the stems (the latter require as careful drawing as the flowers), then draw the petals, doing your utmost to portray faithful!)- the form and character }-ou see before \-ou. For a water-colour, reduce this pencilling with soft rubber, or a bit ot household bread, to the faintest possible outline, just for guidance, for the contact of water with a strong pencil mark will set the latter into an almost indelible line.

The only colour at all approaching the brillianc)- of the flowers is mauve, but as this is • ■

an aniline colour, and a very strong stain, I must warn \-ou against its indiscriminate use. Cobalt blue and rose madder is a very good mi.xture, useful in shadows, which must be kept trans- parent and warm.

^

To look at our subject occasionally with half-closed eyes helps us greatly to a better understanding of the relative value of tone ; we see the object before us in broad masses of light and shade, without being unduly influenced by minor detail.

A ver)- easy pitfall for a beginner, as I know from my own experience, is that, in the desire to make our study forcible and strong, we get our shadows too black and hard, thus pro- ducing an artificiality absolutely fatal. Hold some black object, such as a penholder or ruler, up before our group, and notice the relative difference between that and the warm deep tones of purple and brown in the shadows.

We must try to put on our colours with slow deliberate touches, bright and clean, for repeated touching up and "niggling" will produce a dirty, muddy effect and a woolly texture. How difficult it is I Icnow full well. We start our work with a certain amount of confidence, for

iirew in tl

At the !aot ot the

And the scent oT sw*

Like odours from

olets filled the air

* ». «»■ 'j,'A

^' .,tl» .*m- ^mt- ^^

ij

I'"- ^>^- 1^

or the delicate, intricate harmonies of Chopin, without a pre- hminarj- training in simpler studies ; we must learn our notes before we can embellish them with expression and tone.

If we start an ambitious painting, we are led away b}- the difficulties and delights of colour and composition, and so are apt to disregard the drawing, without which our work cannot possibly be convincing or true to Nature. The skilled artist who can produce a fine stud>- with broad louclies of colour and wide effects of light and shade, could never have attained this apparent ea.se and " slickness " of execution without many and many an hour of patient stud)'.

But here we are at home again, and if we arc not simpl}- bursting with enthusiasm to begin our study, we had better follow Mr. Punch's advice — "Don't," for "without enthusiasm nothing can be accomplished in Art."

I will premise, at this season of the year, when everjthing is being overhauled and " redded up," that our colour boxes have had a careful wash and " spring-clean," and that those pans of colour that have taken unto themselves a gritty, grimy surface have been banished for fresh ones. The following list might be useful to those who contemplate restocking their boxes : Rose Madder, Orange Vermilion, Light Red, Hrown Pink, Cadmium, Aureolin, Lemon Yellow, Indian Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Raw Sienna, Raw Umber, \'and\ke Brown, Cobalt Blue, Antwerp Blue, Emerald Green, Mauve.

A fresh china palette is a great delight, but if you do not possess one, and the japanned lid of your box presents an aged and " mottled " appearance, that defies even salt to remove, borrow an old white plate from the kitchen instead. See that your water-pot is freshly filled, for the brightness and purity of your study depends largely on keeping \-our colours pure and clean. Our outfit must also include some fresh white blotting-paper and a small sponge, onh- to be used in case of dire necessity !

A side light from the window of your ordinary sitting-room will give you a very nice effect of light and shade ; be careful, however, unless, like my.self, you are left- handed, to let the light fall from the /eft side, so as not to have the shadow of your hand on your work".

Now notice very carefully the construction of the flowers. They are composed of five petals, two narrow ones standing up at the back, two (wing-like) at the sides, and a broad one below, curving up at the base to form the curious little hood at the bad< of the flower, surrounded b>- delicate sepals of green. If we look deep ilown

r^

I do love violets, They tcU a history oJ a woman's love; They open with the earliest breath of sprinii; Lead a sweet liSe ot perfume, dew and liiiht. And if they perish, perish with a siiih. Delicious as that life.

L. /■'. Lnn.t,;,.

^

\ '> *

: VIJ*: j^ ^: '

,^ ^Kl*i

^

\V^

'i'^ji

:\

v^..

jij;-. ^^ into the licart of the flower, the bright little orange

P " e}-e " gives us a beautiful contrast with the purple

tones, and we must notice as well how the petals

pale at the base, and liow beautiful!)' they are veined

■" ■>: with purple.

Now begin, very lightl)-, ' with a soft pencil to

make j'our sketch. First indicate the general pro-

i portions and direction of the stems (the latter

require as careful drawing as the flowers), then draw

the petals, doing your utmost to portray faithfull)'

the form and character \ou see before you.

For a water-colour, reduce this penciUing with soft rubber, or a bit of

household breatl, to the faintest possible outline, just for guidance, for

the contact of water with a strong pencil mark will set the latter into an

almost indelible line.

The only colnm' at all approaching the brillianc)- of the flowers is mauve, but as this is "-' »^^ ;

an aniline colour, and a very strong stain, I must warn you against its indiscriminate use. Cobalt blue and rose madder is a ver^' good mixture, useful in shadows, which must be kept trans- parent and warm.

To look at our subject occasionall}- with half-closed eyes helps us greatly to a better understanding of the relative value of tone ; we see the object before us in broad masses of light and shade, without being unduly influenced by minor detail.

A ver)- eas\- pitfall for a beginner, as I know from m}' own e.xperience, is that, in the desire to make our study forcible and strong, we get our shadows too black and hard, thus pro- ducing an artificiality absolutely fatal. Hold some black object, such as a penholder or ruler, up before our group, and notice the relative difference between that and the warm deep tones of purple and brown in the shadows.

We must try to put on our colours with slow deliberate touches, bright and clean, for repeated touching up and "niggling" will produce a dirty, muddy effect and a woolly texture. How difficult it is I know full well. We start our work with a certain amount of confidence, for

\:

Primroses grew in the long lirecn grass, At the foot of the chosen tree:

And the scent ol sweet violets filled the Like odours fron\ Araby.

»:•:%'»"

*,. * a

&

A Violet by &

or the delicate, intricate harmonies of Chopin, without a pre- liminarj- training in simpler studies ; we must learn our notes before we can embellish them with expression and tone.

If we start an ambitious painting, we are led away by the difficulties and delights of colour and composition, and so are apt to disregard the drawing, witliout which our work cannot possibly be convincing or true to Nature. The sk-illed artist who can produce a fine study with broad touches of colour and wide effects of light and shade, could never have attained this apparent ease and "slickness " of execution without many and many an hour of patient stud)-.

But here we are at home again, and if we arc not simpl_\- bursting with enthusiasm to begin our study, we had better follow Mr. I'unch's advice — "Don't" for "without enthusiasm nothing can be accomplished in .Art."

I will premise, at this season of the year, when everj-thing is being overhauled and " redded up," that our colour boxes have had a careful wash and " spring-clean," and that those [xms of colour that have taken unto themselves a gritt\% grimy surface have been banished for fresh ones. The following list might be useful to those who contemplate restocking their boxes : Rose Madder, Orange Vermilion, Light Red, Brown Pink, Cadmium, Aureolin, Lemon Yellow, Indian Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Raw Sienna, Raw Lumber, X'anilykc Brown, Cobalt Blue, Antwerp Blue, Emerald Green, Mauve.

A fresli china palette is a great delight, but if you do not possess one, and the japanned lid of your box presents an aged and " mottled " appearance, that defies even salt to remove, borrow an old white plate from the kitchen instead. See that your water-pot is freshly filled, for the brightness and purity of your study depends largely on keeping your colours pure and clean. Our outfit must also include some fresh white blotting-paper and a small sponge, onlj- to be used in case of dire necessity !

A side light from the window of your ordinary sitting-room will give you a very nice effect of light and shade ; be careful, however, unless, like myself, you are left- handed, to let the light fall from the /eft side, so as not to have the shadow of j-our hand on your work-.

Now notice very carefully the construction of the fiowers. They are composed of five petals, two narrow ones standing up at the back, two (wing-like) at the sides, and a broad one below, curving up at the base to form the curious little hood at the back of the flower, surrounded b>- delicate sepals of green. If wc look deep ilown

I do love violets, They tcM a history ot .\ woman's love; They open with the e.xrlicst brc.\th ot sprinc; UcAil .\ sweet life ot perlume, dew .\nd Hilht, And it they perish, perish with a siiih, Delicious as that life.

/.. A. Lamum.

%.%"<.»,.'•

^^^*ri

^(rT'\

r",

A 'yiol'^-'i by a

^^ into the heart of the flower, the bright Uttle orange

\* \a "^"^5* " e\-e " gives us a beautiful contrast with the purple

^\I/ tones, and we must notice as well how the petals

'''* pale at the base, and how beautiful!}^ the}- are veined

with purple.

Now begin, very lightly, " with a soft pencil to make }-our sketch. First indicate the general pro- portions and direction of the stems (the latter require as careful drawing as the flowers), then draw the petals, doing your utmost to portra_\' faithful!)- the form and character you see before )ou. For a water-colour, reduce this pencilling with soft rubber, or a bit ot household bread, to the faintest possible outline, just for guidance, for the contact of water with a strong pencil mark will set the latter into an almost indelible line.

The only colour at all approaching the brillianc}- of the flowers is mauve, but as this is • ■

an aniline colour, and a very strong stain, I must warn you against its indiscriminate use. Cobalt *~-

blue and rose madder is a very good mixture, useful in shadows, which must be kept trans- parent and warm.

V

^

To look at our subject occasionall}- with half-closed eyes helps us greatlj- to a better understanding of the relative value of tone ; we see the object before us in broad masses of light and shade, without being unduly influenced by minor detail.

-A very easy pitfall for a beginner, as I know from my own e.xperience, is that, in the desire to make our study forcible and strong, we get our shadows too black and hard, thus pro- ducing an artificiality absolutely fatal. Hold some black object, such as a penholder or ruler, up before our group, and notice the relative difference between that and the warm deep tones of purple and brown in the shadows.

We must try to put on our colours with slow deliberate touches, bright and clean, for repeated touching up and "niggling" will produce a dirty, muddy effect and a w'oolly texture. How difficult it is I know full well. We start our work with a certain amount of confidence, for

SSrew in tl

At the foot of the

And the scent of sw<

Like odours from

alets fined the

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if..*^»:»:»

A -yi'jl^L by £i

the sheet of plain white paper holds infinite possibilities, and then, after, perhaps, two hours' patient labour, we look at our efforts with disappointment and dissatisfaction. " A failure I " we say ; but is it a failure? If our attempt has brought us into closer contact with the beautiful works of God, and a humbled feeling of our incapacity to reproduce them, is not that a lesson in itself? And is it not true that when wc arc striving our hardest, and feeling our limitations most keenly, wc are doing our best work ?

I remember long ago saying to a famous artist, " Oh, I wish I could just once feel pleased and satisfied with my work ! " " Well," he answered, in blunt but convincing language, " when you do, )ou may just as well ' shut up ' at once ! " And he explained so kindly and encouragingly that, as our powers of execution increase, our ideals mount proportionately higher and higher, and that to be satisfied would mean, not even standing still, but going back.

How those words comforted me in fits of despondency I cannot tell you, and if I should ever feel particularly delighted with any eft'ort of mine, I shall look upon it as a most alarming symptom, and "shut up" at once.

Also, remember that our fits of despondency are sometimes due to the fact that we have overworked, or over-concentrated our attention on our work, till we are physically incapable of seeing it in the right perspective. In such a case, put it away for a few days ; forget about it, and then start afresh.

In conclusion, I will just add these words of Schumann, which, though written for students of the sister art, seem to me to be particularly applicable to painters as well —

" By industry and endurance j'ou will alwa)-s rise higher."

" Of learning: there is no end."

* s./

*

'ljl»

Wc Arc	violets	blue
For o	ur swec	ness	found
Carcic	.s in the	mossy shades
Looki	nii on th	e t;rc	und.
Love's	drooped	eyel	ds and a kiss—
Such our breath and blucness is.
			Lci^lt HiiHl.

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Flower Piefore^

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^, Edikd 6u Flora Klicknzann

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Claude ^iiyeii

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London. 4 Bouverie St. E.G.

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To

to whose kindl)' interest and help she owes so much, this little book and aftectionately inscribed bv

gratefully

'I'h'd J-^'U'thu'X^

Flower Pictures.

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LIBRARY NEW YCRh BOTAN/CAi

QAROtN

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I^'d-x^w^x^M

dicor of "The C.ils Ov\n Paper and Woman^ Magazine.

CD

These articles were first published in 77/(' Girl's Ozcn Paper and Womans Magazine. They were started with the idea of answering under one general heading a number of queries that had come to me through the post, from readers who were anxious to know iiow to jjaint flowers, and yet were living out of reach of Art Schools and Art Teachers. But the first article proved so exceedingly po]jular that, instead of satisfying the inquiring correspondent, it only whetted her appetite for more. Where the reader had sent one quer\- before, she now sent half-a-dozen all arising out of her increased interest in the subject of flower-painting.

And matters were further complicated whenever we reproduced one of Miss Angell's Flower Pictures on the cover of the magazine : liiousands of readers were immediately fired with the ambition to paint similarly beautiful groups and flower studies. And of course they wrote to the Editor to know how it was to be done !

I asked Miss i^ngell if she could give us another article, and she did so. Then we set to, and discussed a third and a fourth, and as we went on we saw yet further possibilities.

Kach article found an increasing number of admiring readers, until by the time we had got to the end of the series, it seemed advisable to issue them in book form, as our back numbers were out of print.

1 think this book will appeal, not on!)' to the amateur artist, but to

s

every flower-lover, irrespective of ability to chaw a leaf or paint a petal. The mere faculty for reproducing on paper or canvas what is placed before us is not everything. The ability to see the beauty that awaits discovery in the wayside weed, to feel the glory of the colour in the depth of a rose, to find delight in the severe outline of a blackthorn branch or in the grace of the hazel catkins, or the ruggedness of an apple bough — these are satisfactions that cannot be measured by an ordinary rule, nor defined by ordinary speech. They are worth more to us individually than the most faultless technique.

To love the little things that God has made cannot fail to bring us a step nearer to the Creator. And Miss Angell's " talks " help us to see these little things— the ground-ivy flower, the jasmine twig, the crimson on the back of the rose-leaf, the beauty of the dry dead stalks in the November hedgerow — -just the commonplaces that we might so easily pass unnoticed, the commonplaces that become wonderments when we do notice them ; the little things that fill us with amazement at the immensity of their beauty, once we really look at them. The trouble with so many of us is that we simply do not sec.

For those who not only have the seeing eye and the appreciative mind, but also the responsive hand, this book will be a mine of delight and a storehouse of helpfulness. The little bits and fragmentary sketches will suggest so much, and induce even the most diffident to try their powers ; while the finished pictures give us an ideal to strive after, and show us how far removed is the flower-painting of to-day from the stiff, unnatural, younglady-like productions of our grandmothers' da\-.

Two pictures by Hayward Young are also included in this volume, showing the Flower Garden in Italj' and in Holland.

F®reword

4T.4;:'»

') :> ' ..

.f>

■^^^<i-

'Neath cloistered boughs, each floral bell that swingeth And tolls its perfume on the passing air. Makes Sabbath in the fields, and ever ringeth A call to prayer.

Your voiceless lips, O Flowers, are living preachers.

Each cup a pulpit, and each leaf a book, Supplying to my fancy numerous teachers

From loneliest nook.

Were I, O God, in churchless lands re- maining. Far from all voice of teachers or divines. My soul would find, in Flowers of Thy ordaining. Priests, sermons, shrines !

Horace Smith.

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Flower Piefure5

6y ^Qudz ^iTgell

E3ifed 61/ Flora Klickpiann

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London, 4 Bouverie St. E.C.

To

to whose kindl)- interest and help

she owes so much, this little book

is gratefully and affectionately

inscribed by

Flower Pictures.

NEW V(

botanj

F©2'tll/¥DT£1

.r>?

Jilor of "The Girl's Own Paper and Woman'^ Magazine.

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=> •St

TllKSli articles were first published in The Girl's Ouii Paper ami Woiiiau's Magazine. They were started with the idea of atisvveriiii; under one general heading a number of queries that had come to me through the post, from readers who were anxious to know how to paint flowers, and )-et were living out of reach of Art Schools and Art Teachers. ]^ut the first article proved so exceedingly popular that, instead of satisfying the inquiring correspondent, it onh- w hetted her appetite for more. Where the reader had sent one quer\' before, she now sent half-a-dozen all arising out of her increased interest in the subject of flower-painting.

And matters were further complicated whenever we reproduced one of Miss Angell's Mouer Pictures on the cover of the magazine : thousands of readers were immediately fired with the ambition to paint similarly beautiful groups and flower studies. And of course they wrote to the Editor to know how it was to be done !

I asked Miss Angell if she could give us another article, and she did so. Then we set to, and discussed a third and a fourth, and as we went on we saw yet further possibilities.

Each article found an increasing number of admiring readers, until by the time we had got to the end of the series, it seemed advisable to issue them in book form, as our back numbers were out of print.

I think this book will appeal, not only to the amateur artist, but to

.j:ii

every flower-lover, irrespective of ability to draw a leaf or paint a petal. The mere faculty for reproducing on paper or canvas what is placed before us is not everything. The ability to see the beauty that awaits discover}' in the wayside weed, to feel the glory of the colour in the depth of a rose, to find delight in the severe outline of a blackthorn branch or in the grace of the hazel catkins, or the ruggedness of an apple bough — these are satisfactions that cannot be measured by an ordinary rule, nor defined by ordinary speech. They are worth more to us individually than the most faultless technique.

To love the little things that God has made cannot fail to bring us a step nearer to the Creator. And Miss Angell's " talks " help us to see these little things — the ground-ivy flower, the jasmine twig, the crimson on the back of the rose-leaf, the beauty of the dry dead stalks in the November hedgerow — ^just the commonplaces that we might so easily pass unnoticed, the commonplaces that become wonderments when we do notice them ; the little things that fill us with amazement at the immensity of their beauty, once we really look at them. The trouble with so many of us is that we simply do not see.

For those who not only have the seeing eye and the appreciative mind, but also the responsive hand, this book will be a mine of delight and a storehouse of helpfulness. The little bits and fragmentary sketches will suggest .so much, and induce even the most diffident to try their powers ; while the finished pictures give us an ideal to strive after, and show us how far removed is the flower-painting of to-day from the stiff, unnatural, younglady-like productions of our grandmothers' daj'.

Two pictures by Hayward Young are also included in this volume, showing the Flower Garden in Ital}- and in Holland.

kr"

<^»

'Neath cloistered boughs, each floral bell that swingeth And tolls its perfume on the passing air. Makes Sabbath in the fields, and ever ringeth A call to prayer.

Your voiceless lips, O Flowers, are living preachers.

Each cup a pulpit, and each leaf a book. Supplying to my fancy numerous teachers

From loneliest nook.

Were I, O God, in churchless lands re- maining, Far from all voice of teachers or divines. My soul would find, in Flowers of Thy ordaining. Priests, sermons, shrines !

//orace Smith.

Vi'Icts, sweet vi'lets a penny a market bunch!

u^.

's

VK^VjC^^I)

s>

fgV^

long streak oS

every ma quick About the (I intf square thick By ashen roots th violets blowf.

nd

When the Editor asked me to send a little article on painting violets, I was very pleased and proud at the prospect of writing on so delightful a subject. But now, as I sit with a formidable new writing-pad before me, and a nicely-pointed pencil ready to begin our talk, I must frankly own my pleasant task confronts me with difficulties I had totally unforeseen.

" How I paint violets ! " Must I confess — and thereby perhaps earn the scorn of my readers on our very first introduction — that /r,i//r I don't know} I simply look at them with loving but very critical eyes, try to study the form and construction of my charming little models, every line and turn of the dainty petals', and then endeavour, honestly and humbl>', to put my impressions on paper.

I remember a girl of my acquaintance running after me in the street one day, saying, " Oh, Miss Angell, will you please tell me how to make a green for rose leaves ? " And I think her respect for me as a flower portrait painter considerably diminished because I had not a formula (like a chemist's prescription, or a cooking recipe) to hand over on the spot !

A green for rose leaves ! .\\e, or for violet leaves either ! An earnest and intelligent ob.servation will show us their infinite variety of

^ V^®l®i lb J

{ull ol tears;

Arc they wet,
Even yet
With the thoughts o! other years?
Or with gladness are they lull,
For the nitiht so beautitui.
And lonUinti lor those Tar-off sphere	;s?
Violet! dear Violet!
Thy blue eyes are only wet
With ioy and love of Him who sent thee.
And for the fulfillinii sense
Of that islad obedience
Which made thee all that Nature mt	!ant
thee.

colour, a variety not only in themselves, but also largely dependable on the weather, atmosphere, their surroundings, and last, but not least, on the temperament of the student himself, for we do not all see with one pair of eyes, and it is well for our individualitj' that this should be so.

Flower- painting is a most delightful study, and within the reach of us all. Those who are fortunate enough to live in the country can find most charming material for their sketches in the hedgerows, while for a few pence the town- dweller can purchase beautiful blooms in the street.

" Oh," I hear some one say, " but I have had no lessons, and one must have a few hints from a good master, just to show one how to start ! "

Never forget this, j-ou /laz'c a great teacher — the greatest Art teacher of all time — the instructor of the giants of ancient Art, as well as the leader and guide of the humblest student of to-day — Nature herself! We are all, the highest and the lowest, her pupils, though in different classes, according to our capabilities, perseverance, and natural aptitude.

Although I would not for one moment depreciate the advantage of help and criticism from an experienced artist, I repeat emphaticall)' that much can be accomplished without any such outside assistance. We are even more likely to attain originality by working our way through our own observation, and by struggling with our difficulties, than by slavishly following the method and style of any particular school.

No doubt an " easier way " is to call at your local art shop, and, after turning over a folio of Studies (some indifferent, some really beautiful reproductions of extremely clever work), select one that appeals to you, and then, by slavishly copying each petal, and every brush-mark, produce a copy that is reallj' very prctt}-, and very like the original.

Relatives as a rule are lenient critics, and the chorus of flattery singing the praises of your beautiful " apple blossom," " wild rose," or whatever it is, is very pleasant to hear, and urges you to fresh efforts in the same direction ; but can you tell me you have learnt anj'thing by this ? Have you approached the least bit nearer to Nature and her moods ? You have simply been using the brains of other people, and what is that but the worst form of piracy ?

Therefore let us leave our copies behind, and go straight to dear Nature herself for our inspiration. To do good.

^ Violiii by 31

honest work, we must be full of enthusiasm for our subject, and who would not be enthusiastic on a bright March morning, when the joy and vitality of awakening spring, the thrill of delight at the passing of winter, is coursing through our veins ?

Following the advice of the famous cookery book, to " first catch your hare," let us start in quest /

of our little models. Let us don our thickest boots and shortest skirts,

and, armed with a basket, and an ancient pair of leather gloves, in which we may grub delightfully in damp earth regardless of consequences, brave the muddy lane, with its wild, untrimmcd hedgerows, high banks, and deep ditches.

There, in a tangle of frost-tinted ivy, red-brown beech leaves, feathery moss, prickly brambles, and lichen-coated twigs, we shall surely find the objects of our search.

How beautiful they are in their natural environment ! We feel a certain sadness in taking them, however tenderly and lovingly, away from so much beauty. But the wind is cold and searching, the rain- clouds are hurriedly chasing each other over the cold, clear sky, and, however anxious we might be to make a study of the dear thino-s as they grow, it would hardly be wise to risk the consequences, especially as, to be on a level with our subject, our feet would probably have to be immersed in the boggy water at the bottom of the ditch.

What an infinite variety of colour we see in these little denizens of the hedge bank, from creamy white through delicate shadings of mauve, to deep purply blue !

And let us notice, for future reference, the wonderful effect the

changing sky has on them, perhaps more especially on the leaves. That

great inky rain-cloud throws a cold grey shadow, and everything reflects

a sombre hue ; but now the raindrops have fallen, and the bright

spring sunshine beams forth again, the violet leaves,

glistening with liquid diamonds, are dancing with delight

in the breeze, a golden green that would defy the

brightest mixture of emerald and aureolin our palettes

could afford.

Do not be in too great a hurry to make " pictures " ; we must walk, or even crawl, before we can run ; and a k\v careful drawings in pencil, or studies of single flowers in colour, will teach us more in drawing than an elaborate group. A musical student would not dream of attempting the grand chords of Beethoven,

A ViLoEet by &

3^5^

or the delicate, intricate harmonies of Chopin, without a pre- liminary training in simpler studies ; we must learn our tioffs before we can embellish them with expression and tone.

If we start an ambitious painting, we arc led away by the difficulties and delights of colour and composition, and so are apt to disregard the drawing, without which our work cannot possibly be convincing or true to Nature. The skilled artist who can produce a fine stud>- with broad touches of colour and wide effects of light and shade, could never have attained this apparent ease and " slickness " of execution without many and many an hour of patient study.

But here we are at home again, and if we arc not simply bursting with enthusiasm to begin our study, we had better follow Mr. Punch's advice- — "Don't" for "without enthusiasm nothing can be accomplished in .Art."

I will premise, at this season of the \-car, when everything is being overhauled and " redded up," that our colour boxes have had a careful wash and " spring-clean," and that those pans of colour that have taken unto themselves a gritt)', grimy surface have been banished for fresh ones. The following list might be u.seful to those who contemplate restocking their boxes : Rose Madder, Orange Vermilion, Light Red, Brown Pink, Cadmium, Aureolin, Lemon Yellow, Indian Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Raw Sienna, Raw Umber, \'anci\ke Brown, Cobalt Blue, Antwerp Blue, Emerald Green, Mauve.

A fresh china palette is a great delight, but if you do not possess one, and the japanned lid of your box presents an aged and " mottled " appearance, that defies even salt to remove, borrow an old white plate from the kitchen instead. See that your water-pot is freshly filled, for the brightness and purit\' of your study depends largely on keeping your colours pure and clean. Our outfit must also include some fresh white blotting-paper and a small sponge, onl\- to be used in case of dire necessitj- !

A side light from the window of your ordinary sitting-room will give \()U a very nice effect of light and shade ; be careful, however, unless, like my.self, \ou are left- handed, to let the light fall from the left side, so as not to have the shadow of your hand on your work.

Now notice very carefully the construction of the flowers. They are composed of five petals, two narrow ones standing up at the back, two (wing-like) at the sides, and a broad one below, curving up at the base to form the cm-ious little hood at the back of the flower, surrounded b\' delicate sepals of green. If wc Inok deep tiown

"^^

(\

I do lovt violets. Thi-y ti-n .1 history of .\ woman's low; Thcyopi-n with the oArlicst brr.Ath ot sprini<: Lc.\d .\ sweet lite ot pertume, dew and liijht. And il they perish, perish with a siiih, Delicious as that life.

L. I.. L„n,i,n,.

into the heart of the flower, the bright little orange

" e_\-e " gives us a beautiful contrast with the purple

tones, and we must notice as well how the petals

pale at the base, and how beautiful)}' they are veined

with purple.

ILy^SBSi^' Xow begin, verj- lightly, With a soft pencil to

A make j'our sketch. First indicate the general pro-

I I portions and direction of the stems (the latter

require as careful drawing as the flowers), then draw

the petals, doing your utmost to portraj' faithfully

the form and character you see before you.

For a water-colour, reduce this pencilling with soft rubber, or a bit ot

household bread, to the faintest possible outline, just for guidance, for

the contact of water with a strong pencil mark will set the latter into an

almost indelible line.

The only colour at all approaching the brillianc}' of the flowers is mauve, but as this is *" v.* /

an aniline colour, and a very strong stain, I must warn you against its indiscriminate use. Cobalt "*''--

blue and rose madder is a vevy good mixture,

useful in shadows, which must be kept trans- ' - -<

parent and warm.

^

To look at our subject occasional!}- with half-closed eyes helps us great!}- to a better understanding of the relative value of tone ; we see the object before us in broad masses of light and shade, without being unduly influenced by minor detail.

.-\ ver}- easy pitfall for a beginner, as I know from my own e.Kperience, is that, in the desire to make our study forcible and strong, we get our shadow-s too black and hard, thus pro- ducing an artificiality absolutely fatal. Hold some black object, such as a penholder or ruler, up before our group, and notice the relative difference betw-een that and the w-arm deep tones of purple and brown in the shadows.

We must try to put on our colours with slow deliberate touches, bright and clean, for repeated touching up and "niggling" will produce a dirty, muddy effect and a woolly texture. How- difficult it is I know full well. We start our work w-ith a certain amount of confidence, for

X:,

Primroses (*rcw in the lonj* L^rccn grass, At the Soot of the chosen tree;

And the scent of sweet violets filled the ai: Like odours from Araby.

A yio'Je-i "by a ■Mo^i:.y '

^iusia

the sheet of plain white paper holds infinite possibihties, and then, after, perhaps, two hours' patient labour, we look at our efforts with disappointment and dissatisfaction. " A failure ! " we say ; but is it a failure? If our attempt has brought us into closer contact with the beautiful works of God, and a humbled feeling of our incapacity to reproduce them, is not that a lesson in itself? And is it not true that when we are striving our hardest, and feeling our limitations most keenly, we are doing our best work ?

I remember long ago saying to a famous artist, " Oh, I wish I could jusi once feel pleased and satisfied with my work I " " Well," he answered, in blunt but convincing language, " when you do, you may just as well 'shut up' at once!" And he explained so kindly and encouragingly that, as our powers of execution increase, our ideals mount proportionately higher and higher, and that to be satisfied would mean, not even standing still, but going back.

How those words comforted me in fits of despondency I cannot tell you, and if I should ever feel particularly delighted with any effort of mine, I shall look upon it as a most alarming symptom, and "shut up " at once.

Also, remember that our fits of despondency are sometimes due to the fact that we have overworked, or over-concentrated our attention on our work, till we are physically incapable of seeing it in the right perspective. In such a case, put it away for a few days ; forget about it, and then start afresh.

In conclusion, I will just add these words of Schumann, which, though written for students of the sister art, seem to me to be particularly applicable to painters as well —

" By industry and endurance you will always rise higher."

" Of learning there is no end."

0^

Wc arc violets bin For our swcctne

, fa

Careless in the mossy shades

Looking on the ground, .ovc's drooped eyelids and a kiss- »uch our breath and blucness is.

Lci^h Hunt.

Sallow

*.'/

13

'4

:r::i

■ i-^;^ .:«^ -vif^ , ■

•H ««•-

**•. AU

yt

Daffodils that come before the swal-

And take the

ll' is a joyous message that comes to us all at daffodil time ; a message that, in spite of its repetition )-eai- by year, is always delightful, always new. It tells us the gladsome tidings of passing winter and glorious awakening spring ! We hear and see it in all around ; in the twittering of the birds ; the tassels on the hazel twigs ; and in the bursts of pale, fitful sunshine through the leaden cloudy skies.

The little golden stars of the celandine are peeping out in sheltered corners on the hedge-banks ; in the gardens the snowdrops and winter aconite are showing their faces through the melting of the snow — if, indeed, we have //aei any snow, but it is much more likely they awake from their long sleep to a dreary and bleak greyness characteristic of winter in our vagarious climate.

On this bright morning the greyness is passing away ; the sun is high, and rapidly- gaining power in a sky cif cold, tender blue ; and what a joy it is to wander round those still somewhat soddened walks in the garden, and note our old favourites of happy spring- time coming into their own once more !

Snowdrops and scillas are swinging their white and blue bells to the breeze ; tulips and hyacinths are bursting through the sod ; in these clumps of grey-green spikes of the daffodil, a big stout-looking bud shows here and there, needing only a little warmth from the sjoldcn sunshine to burst foith into a

15

I

1 n' >.

14

3a!fodils that come before the swal- low dares

It is a joyous message that comes to us all at daffodil time ; a message that, in spite of its repetition \-eai- by )'ear, is always delightful, always new. It tells us the gladsome tidings of passing winter and glorious awakening spring ! We hear and see it in all around ; in the twittering of the birds ; the tassels on the hazel twigs ; and in the bursts of pale, fitful sunshine through the leaden cloudy skies.

The little golden stars of the celandine are peeping out in sheltered corners on the hedge-banlcs ; in the gardens the snowdrops and winter aconite are showing their faces through the And take 'the winds melting of the suow — if, indeed, we have had an\' snow, but it is much uty. more likely they awake from their long sleep to a drear}- and bleak

greyness characteristic of winter in our vagarious climate.

On this bright morning the grc\ness is passing away ; the sun is high, and rapidh- gaining power in a sk\- of cold, tender blue ; and what a joy it is to wander round those still somewhat soddened walks in the garden, and note our old favourites of happ)- spring- time coming into their own once more !

Snowdrops and scillas are swinging their white and blue bells to the breeze ; tulips and hyacinths are bursting through the sod ; in these clumps of grey-green spikes of the daffodil, a big stout-looking bud shows here and there, needing only a little warmth from the golden sunshine to burst forth into a

perxc.l

[5

./■%

glory of gold of its own. There is a feeling of joic de vivre, of re-aroused energy, in this awakening of Nature after her long quiescence. We feel it coursing through our veins, and long to be up and doing ; and now that our spring favourites are disclosing their beauty, and inviting us to try and reproduce their charms, we must en- thusiastically seize and use every moment of leisure before their brief life is over for another year.

Perhaps you may feel that, in some of our talks on flower-painting, the subjects chosen are not easy at all. The violet is a very subtle little flower to draw even, and still more difficult to mass pictorially with good effect. The rose, the most delightful stud)- of all, is the worst floral sitter I know, for she simpl)- won't keep her lovely petals still for a moment, and this, even to the advanced student, is confusing in the extreme. Wild flowers wilt and fade, even before we can hope to translate more than a suggestion of their fleeting beauty to paper. But with many of the lovely bulbous plants that supply us with such a display of springlike beauty, we have the great advantage of patient sitters.

Take a jonquil, a single daffodil, a spray of narcissus, etc. ; put it in water, and it is possible to make an elaborate study of it before it has appreciably changed. This is of immense value to the student, and I have often found even beginners make excellent drawings by carefully observing the beautiful lines in these flowers.

I do not mean for one moment to imply that they do not afford an immense amount of scope for the advanced student as well, far from it ; he will find fresh difficulties, and therefore fresh delights, every time he tries his skilled brush on their pure loveliness ; but the comparative simplicity of the form presents greater possibilities of success to the novice than a complicated arrangement of petals, as in a rose or chrysanthemum, could possibly do.

The beginner must learn to put in what he sees before him ; the advanced student must learn what to leave out. This sounds a parado.x, but I believe most artists would tell you

it is true. We must learn, by long and

patient experience, y ^ j what is there, and be

jay tulips bloom and sweet mint curls around her iiardcn bower,

lut she is sweeter

tha

the

int,

nd fairer than ic flower.

nititticT.

i6

%**'.

^^ *\m '«i|« «.^

RED AND WHITE MAY. Fromllhe Painting by Maude AngelL

^■''^^'':^-M^^^:^^ ir^^ >T^^

'Wh-isi iJiiiiD tills

able to draw it carefully, before we

can dare to leave it as a mere

suggestion, and I want especiall)- to

impress upon you that we must learn

it b}- ourselves alone. Each pair of

e}'es, when they open on this world

of ours, have their own individual

way of looking at what they see ;

the decided preference quite 3.-oung-

children show for special colours and

forms will teach you that ; but this

latent individuality needs training to

bring it forth, and that rests with

ourselves.

W'e all know the story in the old " primers " uf

" E\-es and No-eyes, or the Art of Seeing." How

true it is ! Take, for instance, this narcissus. Ask

"Mr. Xo-eyes " what it is, and he will answer at

once " A white flower," and perhaps, if we press him

for details, to supplement this bold description he

will say, " It has six petals and a yellow middle." Ask him with what

he would shade the flower, and he will exclaim, " Win-, gre\-, of

course!" (I heard of a Frenchman once who said, "Black and vite makes von good grey!") Ikit while he is busy with his dirty, crude, inky conception of this pure bloom, let us ask the opinion of " Mr. Eyes," who has meanwhile been studying the same flower with enthusiasm and delight.

" White ? " he says. " Yes, but just hold a bit of white paper near, and see what a white ! How pure and delicate are the dainty pearly greys in the modelling of the petals ; I see cobalt blue, rose madder and a lovely pure yellow in this grey, but so subtly blended, that I am simply longing to make a trial fif the right proportions on mj' palette. Then how- warm and transparent are the shadows, and what a luminous yellow the reflected lights ! What wonderful drawing in the edges of the flower ! How delightfully they melt off indefinitely into the background in the shadows, giving immense value to the lights on the more prominent parts."

17

Now let us look at their respective studies side by side. " Mr. No-eyes " has taken great pains with his drawing ; even the slight veining in the petals is faithfully copied ; the edges are carefully " made out " ^ against the background to " show up the flower well,"

^■'Jmf making it look as if it had been cut out and pasted

on the background. Everywhere the evidence of painstaking labour, but what a poor dead thing that flower is ! He has known by tradition he had a white flower before him, and therefore, satisfied by that knowledge, he has not used his eyes to see of what it is composed ; he has not studied the wonderful difference light and reflection can give, and it is quite beyond his comprehension that the study of " Mr. Eyes," not nearly so elaborately finished and stippled as his own production, should possess a strength and an air of conviction entirely lacking in his own.

But nevertheless he will be obstinate about it, and adhere to his traditions and ideas with a firmness worthy of a better cause. lie has been taught that a HI)- is white, that snow is white, a rose is red, etc., and he sticks to that teaching. Show him a painting of a snow .scene, for instance, when the brilliant glow of a winter sunset makes the snowy foreground look dark by comparison with the greater light of the sky, and he will say it is wrong altogether ; who ever saw dark snow ? He makes no allowance for conditions of light, the greatest factor in pictorial effect.

The family of " Mr. No-eyes " is a very large and very conservative one ; his descendants will be with us for all time, although perhaps with the advancement of Art knowledge, and love and study of natural beauty among us, they are less numerous than formerh-.

The habit of training the eyes can be acquired by all, but it must be by our own efforts, it cannot be

taught, although the interchange of ideas with others Beside

is most helpful. Our impressions must be our very own, otherwise path Art would possess no individuality and no originality. Therefore, Puts forth his head as I have asked you before, do not value your own perceptive J,"^.*°" **""" "'"'*' powers so lowly as to work from copies, however they may appeal to And findsthesnow- you as works of art. Study the methods by which a good effect has been obtained, note carefully an\'thing that appeals to you in the composition and technique, and then, having learnt the lesson it can give you — go and do something else ! Something real, and not seen through another pair of eyes !

liardcr crocus

visitant, Mready baskin the solar ray.

I8

Royal tulips sump- tuously dyed,

Purple and ^old and sanguine, striped and sn\earcd,

pur

the

keen colour as a bride s in her u/hiteness.

Margarc-t L. ll'o,>,/s.

You have a wonderful opportunity

-. _ ♦> ~ among these beautiful heralds of the

m^ floral pageant of the seasons, and

■ ._ ' what a delight it is to make studies

f of their fresh spring-like beauty !

Snowdrop, crocus, narcissus, daffodil,

h_\-acinth, tulip, jonquil, follow in quick succession ; it is almost impossible

to keep pace with them with our brush, however diligent.

I cannot give you a special formula, or set of rules, for painting each and every variety of these beautiful blooms, but here are a few generalities we should keep always before us.

I want you especially to notice there is a great difference- in colour in white flowers of various kinds ; some are a much warmer, more }-ellowish white than others, as you will observe yourself by comparison one with another.

Then do not forget to notice the consistency of the petals ; most bulbous plants are rather fleshy, but in different degrees.

Again, note the surface texture of the petals ; the smooth satiny brightness of the tulip or lily is quite different Irom the duller surface of daffodil, narcissus, or jonquil.

Above all, keep your white bloom as pure and clean as you know how ; let your lights be broad and simple, your shadows transparent and warm ; look long and earnestly at your group, to ascertain where the light falls most strongly, and concentrate on that as your principal point of interest, rather than having little fidgety bits of bright light scattered about all over the picture, confusing to the eye of the spectator, although probably he would be unable to tell }'ou what is displeasing to him.

If you wish to study intelligently and industriously the wonderful varieties of colour in objects we are accustomed to call " white," suppose you take a white flower — rose, lily, chrysanthemum, what you will — put it in water in a white glass bowl on a fresh damask tablecloth. Now bring into your group any other so-called white object you see around you, a bit of carved ivory, a billiard ball, a pearl-handled knife, etc. As

a pictorial composition this is a meaningless jumble of properties with no connection one with another ; but as a study of relative

Yellow and purple and white.

Snow-white and lilac and gold Crocuses, my crocuses,

Pccrinii from the mould. It was only this morninj! early

That Sprinj* came by this way. And the gifts she leaves for a token

Were only mine to-day.

tieorgt' Cotttrei.

19

1-

tone-values, could we but manage to reproduce what we see, it would be a perfect tour dc force.

Tliis leads inc to the subject of backgrounds. Of course, for picture-making light flowers undoubtedl)- look most effective when arranged against something dark and simple. The interest is, after all, in the flowers, and if the background is treated elaborately with detail and accessories, it will onlv detract from the main idea.

Hut when I say a " plain background," 1 do not mean an absolutel}- flat surface devoid of light and shade ; this would give a terribly hard effect. The shadows falling from the flowers themselves are of great value. When you have arranged your group to your liking, or allowed the flowers to arrange themselves (usually the more satisfactory plan), try the effect oi different tones behind to see which harmonises best with the prevailing colour ; sometimes a bit of brown paper even is most successful, sometimes a bit of draper)-.

I myself have a prized collection of old bits, called, most contemptuously, my "' rags " by the family ; most precious and useful to me, though I expect any self- respecting gentleman of the " old clo' " profession would absolutely refuse to entertain the idea of a deal in such rubbish. "There ain't one of them fit to make a duster on ! " commented a lofty charlady who once got an accidental peep at them. Bits of old furniture covering, fragments of dresses long worn out, curtains, anything on which Old Time has laid his mellow and softening touch. Washed out and faded, worn and old, they nevertheless possess artistic possibilities that braiul- ^ ., new silks and velvets never could.

Sometimes an old book or books will blend beautifully with our floral studies. I mean those lovely russety-brown calf- bound volumes that have descended to us from our grandparents, to which wear and the passing of \-ears have given an

O white Wind- flower with the purple dyes

Your candour oT innocence n%eets mine eyes,

And bids the bowed heart in me arise ;

You arc kin to the little ones, hum- ble and wise,

You

wly-born the wild-wood.

'^Hp^»> added charm, so mellow and dignitied in comparison with the gaily-decorated picture board-bindings of to-daj-.

Old mahogany or oak furniture makes

a fine contrast, too ; onl\-, if the reflections in a polished surface are not very accurately realised, the good effect is lost entireh'.

The Over-Elaborated Background.

It is always a great mistake to over-elaborate a background ; let it be simple, and let the full significance of its name be fully valued. It is a /;^?<;-X'ground, and therefore receding behind the main interest of the picture.

Be especially careful to avoid getting a hard tin-like effect in the edges of the flowers when working against anything dark. Let the edges of the receding flowers on the shadow side melt bff indefinitely into the back- ground here and there ; this will add strength and vigour to your high lights.

A propos of our talk on tone-values in white, I was struck with an example about an hour ago, on this cold November morning, when the only prospect outside the windows is a thick white mist enveloping everything except a few trails of bare Virginia creeper near the glass. On the breakfast-table had been placed a bunch of white polyanthus narcissus forced into premature bloom by the enterprising florist, who seems determined of late years not to allow the beauties of the floral world ta adhere to their own legitimate seasons. The light from the window (what there is of it) is a cold but pure one, and shows clear and transparent through the petals of the flowers. But where they overlap each other, and the rays of light are intercepted and obstructed, the flowers look much darker against the window-pane than the greyish white mist outside ; while the brightest white of the whole is not on the flowers at all, but a single spot of brilliant light on the highly- glazed surface of the green Bruges pottery vase in which they are placed.

This is just a little example of the eye-training I have been trying to impress previously. We can learn a lesson from all we see around us, and we are so apt to miss our opportunities in this direction I Why need we think it is only possible to study Art when we are, so to speak, '■ dressed " for the part, and, in a high-art overall, surrounded by all the tools and accessories of our work, stand posed before an easel, brush and palette in hand ?

This is, of course, the practical part of our calling, and very necessar)- to its fulfilment ; but the mere translation of our ideas to paper or

■^'

~^.

and violet,

Pis a little too cold for the nightin^'alc yet:

hilomcl. he'll

not Tail you !

canvas is not the only way we ought to be studying Art. We must, to be successful, make it a part of our lives, and it is astonishing how it engrosses our whole being, and what a joy and delight this mental analysis of tone and form will become.

Not even the busiest of us can say we have no time for it. As we pursue our daily work, as we pass on our way through even dull and uninteresting surroundings, there is much to see, and the commonest objects can become things of interest and beauty.

Some years ago some very beautiful lunettes by the late Edwin Abbey, R.A., were exhibited in London prior to their departure for America, to adorn the dome of the Capitol of Pennsylvania. If I remember rightly, they were subjects representing the industries of the New World ; and one, especially beautiful, represented the Spirits of the Earth bringing the riches of the oil wells to the surface of the world. The idea was, of course, expressed allegorically. Beautiful female forms with brilliant lights in their hands were rising from the ground, and the effect of their light, transparent, white draperies, showing a lovely, soft, indescribable blue against a clear sunset sky, was masterly and wonderful.

A short time after I was in a smokj- suburban park at the evening hour. Near by, one of our big main lines of railwav- passes over a high embankment. A northern express rushed past, and there, against the luminous sky, those clouds and wreaths of steam from the engine gave me just the same effect I have tried to describe above, while the like- ness to that beautiful picture was still further enhanced by the flickering lights just appearing in the houses and streets near. One could forget the prosaic side of the picture: the kindly indefiniteness of the shades of approaching night had transformed those sordid-looking and ugly

Through	pril	mrosc
tufts, ir	ithe	green
bower,
The PC	r iwi	inkle
t r a i 1 c	d	its
wreath:	s;
And 'tis	my	faith
that cv	cry flower
Enjoys i	the	air it
breathes.
II ■	en/s-a	■ortn.

'Whan T;Hiio£ill£;

\

Long as there's a sun that

buildings into a mass of dark simplicity of infinite value to the effect as a whole.

The builder of cities, the necessities of modern civilisation, may spoil the natural beauty of sylvan scenery, but cannot rob us of atmospheric effect ; sometimes the very murkiness of the smoky clouds of manufacturing towns will give us an effect of surprising beauty.

We have wandered some way from our friends the spring bulbs pure and simple ; let us return to practicabilit\- and the easel and paint-box.

The Di!!iculty of Yellow Pigments.

So far we have confined our attention to white flowers ; suppose we try some daffodils by way of a change. We shall need to exercise great care in the study, for most yellow pigments in water-colour are very difficult to manage. In case you have not yet found out all their weak- nesses for yourselves, I had better put \-ou

on your guard against some of their little vagaries. Gamboge must

be shunned, and so must chrome, for, though brilliant in working, they

have a tendency to turn black with time. Some while ago I came

across a group of yellow narcissus I had painted and exhibited years

before. I hardly recognised it again. The flowers wore a dejected

brown paper hue on their poor little faces that

surely could not have been there in their early

days ; that wicked old pigment, chrome, was

^ responsible for the change.

Then lemon-yellow (a charming colour, and absolutely indispensable for some flowers) has a \^'' nasty trick of picking up on the brush if we

attempt to work another colour over it. There- fore I usually find it better, when painting < daffodils, primroses, and light yellow flowers generally,

to wash in lightly the modelling and shading of the petals as if they were white ; and then, when dry, to put on the yellow colour in a thin wash — lemon-yellow or primrose \\ aureolin (according to the depths) — afterwards. This will

ensure a far fresher appearance than mixing the colours. j\ Daffodils make charming studies, both in form and

I \ colour ; there is something so cheery and buoyant in their

>

23

1»*"

A spray of Ivy-leaved Toad

Fla

suniu- \cllo\v, and so decorative in their- arrangement with their own delightful bluey grey - green leaves. The cockney flower-woman I usually patronise knows my partiality for these leaves, for she always calls out "Spikes, laidy ? " in a persuasiv^e tone if she thinks I am going by without making a purchase. Ihit these self-same " spikes," though the most charming and suitable accompaniment to their kindred flowers, are very difficult to manage successfully. If you think they look simple, just try even to cfrazv one, and you will see. If you look straight into the face of a single daffodil, deep down into the depths of its long trumpet-shaped heart, you will not find it easy to reproduce its depths. Note carefully the reflected lights and quiet tran.sparency with which it recedes from our view as it nears the base of the petals.

The crocus makes a good study, especially if we draw it growing from its bulb. •

The snowdrop, with its delicate blossoming bells, also ; but neither of these would appeal to me for the composition of a picture, though charming as studies.

The culli\atcd h}-acinth, except the early Roman variety, is somewhat stiff in growth ; but the lovely wild bluebells, growing in riotous luxuriance in the Maytime copse, make a wonderful study in colour, the tender young green of spring-time acting as a beautiful contrast to the indescribable blue mistiness of the floral carpet at our feet.

Have \'ou ever noticed that these bluebells are rather disappointing and hard in colour if you bring them indoors, away from the glamour of green and sky? But nevertheless they make a delightful study, with plenty of scope for delicate drawing, as do also lilies of the valley with their delicate leaves.

Tulips have been vastly imiMovcd of recent years ; how different are some of these lovely new varieties, with dainty frilled edges, from the striped yellow and red monstrosities so fashionable in my childish da)'s ! But they are as changeable as a rose, and need to be painted very quickly.

ut the

■ the

The AvAi

Is not tc he hyac

ini! shades: carpet of the dry lea* keep down nth blades.

24

A study of Blackthorn.

It is SO difficult to tell others how a thing is done, more especially, perhaps, in painting than in any other Art ; for so much depends on our own sense of beaut}-, and our own individtial interpretation of it. If we were bound b)- hard and fast rules, that individualit\-, an artist's most cherished possession, would be lost.

Therefore I am endeavouring in these chats of outs, not to be dogmatic, or to lay down any law or rule formed from m\- own experience, but to impress upon )ou to learn all you can from \-our own, and also to see the necessity for the cultivation of your own emotions and thoughts, to the true realisation of your

subject, be it what it ma\-.

There can be no better teacher than Nature herself; no moie charm- ing studies than the gifts she scatters so lavishly around ; we ma\-, of

course, learn much that is technically useful from a

group of "models" (cubes, triangles, etc.) set up

before us in approved School of Art fashion ; and

perhaps we may feel a certain amount of pleasure

and interest in bringing our study of them to such

a pitch of perfection and finish that it looks very

real and true. We have df)ubtless been training

eyes and hand with good effect ; but where has

been the enthusiasm we experienced when trying to

give our impression of the humblest flower ? Where

the delight we who love Nature must feel when ,'

we study the subtleties of colour and form in the

works of God ? \ v

This enthusiasm, this stirring, as it were, of our

very souls, must carry us into higher realms of

thought, and therefore uplift our taste to higher

things ; it is the creation of the very essence of true

ry bee that'; nging.

AD^H'^ ^fiii^:lii:ild

Art, and once this is understood and felt, technique and craftsmanship will follow as a matter of course.

What a grand, what a great opportunitj- we have before us now in the happy spring-time, when everywhere around bud and blossom are entrancing us with their beauty !

" When proud-pied April dressed in all his trim Hath put a spirit of youth in everything.''

us be up and doing, and take every possible opportunit\- for Every moment is pre-

Let study !

cious now ; there is so much to do, and the life of the spring blossoms is so fleeting, that procrastination is fatal to our purpose. In meadow and hedge- row, wood, garden, and field, we find our models in rich and glorious profusion.

Look at this apple branch, for instance ; a splendid stud}- both in drawing and colour. Just lightly sketch in, with faint touches of a soft pencil, the general form of the spray, its direction, and the shape of its clusters of flowers. Now look at the flowers earnestly and long, standing, or sitting well back from your subject, and, with eyes half closed, study the main points of the whole. This will enable you to see where the light falls strongest, and therefore to decide where the principal point of interest lies. In every picture, every study, there should

be one such point that attracts us first : just as, when we are looking at a landscape in Nature, an interior, a group of people, or anything else that comes within our vision, there is bound to be one particular spot in the composition that arrests our eyes, and therefore chains our attention first. Light is so all-important to our vision that where it falls brightest is invariably the spot to which oiu" eyes are drawn.

Here, then, is our point of interest, but we must not, of course, make its presence too obvious, or the drawing will look forced and unreal. Let us keep it as broad as we can.

	Cowsli	P»	ol Spri	nii	,
With •	cluster;	i ol joy ye	liiiht ou	r lands,
And .	we itAthc	r your	fr.	iliran	cc in our
ha	nds
BCAI	Jty And	Ir<	a(£rAncc	bl	ossominii.
	Cowsli	ps	of Spri	nn
Thoufih the >		rid tirows	old u	rith sorrow
And CAre,
There	's eteri	lal	Ireshm	ess	. in the air,
The i	eladnc	ss	of God	to <	earth	will clintf. ■Vti A. /.....

26

I\-fjri}!.' ^ Qiaj'iBJil'il

T h"e y e 1 1 o « wallflower,

Stained witl iron broTvn.

Thomson.

and avoid " worrying " it by scattering it with little meaningless bits of dark colour : even its shadows are delicate and pure, and how beautiful is the almost transparent flimsiness of the petals ! The flowers that are fullest out are nearly white except for the creamy yellowy stamens of their centres : and you must notice how fragile is the attachment of the petals to the calyx, for this is a characteristic too charming to be overlooked. If you liked to make' some studies of the form of the fallen petals, it would teach you much.

But to return for the present to our spray : you will notice, except in the case of a branch where the flowers are nearly over, that each cluster of blossoms has still some unopened, or partly opened, buds. These buds are generally the brightest pink of all, and their strong colour is of great value in enhancing the delicate purity of the more advanced flowers.

Again, the notched and knotted branch, and purplish brown shadows, showing here and there through the clustered masses of pink and white, also gives a note of strength. Then the little green calyx at the back of the flower, and the }'oung unfolding leaves will help with a happy suggestion of spring green. If you are ambitious, and wish to paint a large spray, you will doubtless find yourself confronted with a difficulty with which all flower painters have to contend, and that is, the utter impossibility of finishing your study before the beautiful freshness of the flowers has passed away. To work from wilted or faded specimens is fatal ; so, if you think your drawing is likely to take you longer than the short span of life your models enjoy, I think you will find it a

ith its grevish lights

27

good plan to make a quick sketch of the whole gioiip, much as I have suggested above, either in charcoal or in colour, the general forms of light and shade roughly blocked in. Keeping this before you for reference, begin the finished work on a fresh piece of paper, getting fresh flowers to take the place of the faded ones, only taking as much at each sitting as you feel you can accomplish while the blossoms are fresh, doing your utmost with this, adhering meanwhile to the main idea of the first sketch.

This is the only way I know of making a really finished study of an)'thing so perish- able as apple-blossom, but, of course, it is a method full of pitfalls for the unwary, and the one I u.sed to find the most dangerous was the temptation, when I took up each particular group of blooin, to be so led away by the beautj' of the cluster before me that I could not resist an inclination to give each one equal prominence, and ignore its relation to the whole study : a terrible bit of patchwork was the result.

So we must have our first sketch constantlj- before ■ us, to enable us to keep our first impression fresh, and then, when the finished drawing is nearing com- pletion, it will want what an artist would call " bringing together " ; in other words, simplifying in effect to compose well as a whole, to bring back the unison of idea of our quick sketch of the whole branch. Here a petal, a whole flower, or even a cluster of flowers, toned down so as to be almost lost in the shadow ; an edge softened here ; a touch of broad, bright light there ; this can only be accom- plished satisfactorily with great deliberation and care. Sometimes a good quick effect can be obtained by working in " body " on coarse, dark brown paper, such as you would use for wrapping up parcels, using the colours and merging them together while wet, much as you would if oil, and not water, were the medium. The colour must be used as pure as possible, for, if mixed with too much water, the effect would be extremely weak and poor.

When I first took up flower-painting seriously, I made some careful studies of single flowers ; then tried two or three together, with a tint washed roughly behind them as background ; but when, a little later on, fired with an ambition to exhibit my work, I began to try my prentice hand at picture-making, I found, for the first time, all the difliculties I have tried to describe above. 'ihe temptation to jiaint each flower for

Arc you lightini! the fairies* gloomy tirots.

Delicate, fairy chandeliers? Where are you shininii, forSet-me-nots 7

When are you cominti to dry your tears?

/••

: /',.;

28

1"^.

29

Blue !la(Ss, yellow flails, tlaSs all trcckled, Which will you take? yellow, blue, speckled! Take which you will, speckled, blue, yellow, Each in its way has not a fellow.

C. Kosidli.

jA.p:rii^ii

nd

itself was strong within mc, although when tlic group was finished 1 could see there was something very much wanting.

Oh, those early studies ! I have a few of them still in ni\- folios ; and after the lapse of years of practice, how crude, how hard and " ed^ry " they seem ! And yet I have a sentimental feeling against destroying them, both for the old-time memories they recall, and the lessons they have taught. In all of them I can see this fatal tendency to make too much of each flower individually, regardless of its true place in the scheme of design of the whole.

I remember, when I came in from the garden with a lovely, freshly plucked rose, how I could not resist the temptation to fit it into a space in my group, where I could look right into the heart of its unfolding petals, although, to take its place properly, it ought to have shown only its profile or its back. As you may imagine, a vase filled with roses, all pointing their little noses towards me, however carefully painted, did not compose very well pictorial 1\-, and I soon began to see, if I wanted my work to have any artistic value, I must work on very different lines.

In the course of business I have sometimes (rather unwillingly and under protest) had to return to these earlier methods, when I have been asked to undertake commissions for catalogues for well-known horticultural firms. You will find your ardent horticulturist cares less

for pictorial effect than a rather " niggling " drawing of a show flower.

He may admire an artistic drawing himself, but the public, for

whom he caters in these books, does

not always appreciate any subtleties

of light and shadow composition,

but insists that each flower shall

show its own special characteristics

in the most blatantly insistent way

it can.

Well, these things must be done

sometimes, and done faithfully, with

knowledge and care ; but \ou can

understand, after a dose of this kind

of work, how delightful it is to let

one's own ideas run riot once more,

leaving these trammelled paths to get

back to the less stilted beauties of

field and garden.

I hope, when the spray of apple- blossom is finished, you have still time

to make further studies of " The fair

profusion that o'crspreads the spring "

in this charming month of sunshine

and showers.

30

Jkp:rli'^ Gi'ilTlaTafI

^V

Primroses, anemones, cowslips, oxlips, lady's smock, wood sorrel, and many other blossoms star copse and field ; little pink- tipped daisies peep through the lengthening grass ; in our gardens wallflowers, forget- me-nots, pol}-anthus, jonquil, and many others are greeting us day by day ; while just look at that lovely old wall — simply glowing with purple and white arabis, London pride, stonecrop and a host of other humble though beautiful flowers.

Let us take this little bunch of sweet- scented cowslips for our next drawing. I would not try to make a completed picture of them, for it is very difficult to mass such small flowers with good effect ; but what a delightful little sketch the}' will make, their bright golden cups peering out each from its sheltering sheath-like calyx of softest pale grey green, a green unlike anything else I know. Notice the stems and how they differ from the more ethereal and downy primrose stalks. On another page in this book will be found a talk on stems and twigs, giving the subject more time and attention, as its importance demands. In the meantime observe them

carefully, and note the difference thej' show in different varieties of plants.

What a favourite the forget-me-not is with us all, with its hue of heavenly blue, and its tender romantic name ! We must search the realms of legend and fancy to trace the origin of this, for its original popular designation was " Mouse-ear," simply a translation from the Greek of its botanical name Myosotis, and supposedly derived from the shape of its leaves.

The legends regarding the naming of the little blue flower with its present charming name are endless. We all know the story of the knight in the old ballad who lost his life when, at the request of the " ladye-fa}'re," he plunged in the stream and was drowned while try- ing to obtain a bunch of its blossoms of " brilliant hue " to di/nl in her " nut-browfi hair" \ But perhaps the prettiest of all is the story told to the children, that when the flowers were given their names by the Creator of the world, one little flower forgot hers, and when she went back, in fear and trembling, to ask it, she was told '' Forget-me-not^

There are endless other stories and traditions of this same flower,

The Buttercup is hkc a The Marisjold is lik.

The Daisy with a sSoldc And golden spreads

jioldcn cup a golden f \ eye looks

beside the rill.

31

J-Xij^'ii'iJ Gi5i-Jrliiiid

but as it is our business to paint it, and not merely to study it from a sentimental standpoint, let us proceed to business.

The shades of colour in the blossoms present a great variety, some, generally those longest in bloom, arc quite pink, and so are many of the opening buds.

I am generally rather averse to the use of Chinese white in my floral studies, because, as a rule, it gives a dull opaque look when mi.ved with other colours, and so loses that transparency of effect which is a great thing to aim at in flower-painting. But in the forget- me-not I have found a touch of white mixed with the blue very helpful in getting this exact tone of colour. Cobalt used pure is too dark, and even when diluted with water and a slight touch of Antwerp blue added, it is not very satisfactory ; the touch of white, used with discretion, will give us what we want. Do not forget to give full prominence to the lovely little touch of white, almost like a halo, surrounding the yellow centre. The wallflower is another great spring favourite of mine. What is more beautiful to behold than a clump of them growing against a crumbling, old grey wall ? Or, if we wish for an indoor study, put some blooms, in all the glory of their colourings of yellow, orange, red and brown, in an old blue china bowl, and note the effect I

I must plead guilty to a personal preference for these warm, rich, russet colourings in the old-fashioned varieties we have seen and admired in cottage gardens since our childhood, above the fanciful magenta shades introduced of late years by the up-to-date florist.

Indian yellow, cadmium and rose madder, bright and pure as we can 'Tct them, give the right tones, with a touch of crimson alizarin here and there, and even perhaps a little burnt sienna. Notice the deep purplish hue of the sepals enclosing the unopened buds, and do not forget to tr\- to reproduce the velvety effect of the petals : a slight touch of cobalt delicately washed over the lights will sometimes help to give this " bloom. The long leaves clo.sely embracing the sturdy stems are beautiful too ; observe the grey reflected lights on their upper surfaces, in con- trast to the brilliant green they present wlicn the light is passing througli their substance.

The wallflower is not strictly indigenous to our islands, but it has so acclimati.sed and adapted itself since its first coming in medi.x-vai times that we almost regard it as a native, especially as it owns a big family of cousins who are aborigines, being a member of the same order as some of our most useful vegetables, including the cabbage, mustard, cress, and even turnijj.

Oh. thi- ■.» Whi-rcthroutfh Ih In chain of nKacIc

Uey of deep t<rass,

nmcr stream doth pass, nd stin pool, From misty morn to evening cool ; Where the black ivy creeps and twines O'er the dark-armed, red-trunked pines.

U-iliiaiii Morris.

32

.^pji'il^ii SasMaiil

If we pass a brook running through marshy meadows in our quest for floral subjects, we shall surely find wonderful patches of gold in the masses of marsh marigold, or " king-cup " studding the lush green grass. I believe in Italy this flower is called " Bride of the Sun," and certainly it seems to reflect some of his golden glory.

In this study you will want some of your brightest and purest yellows, so please be particular to bear in mind what I have said in another chapter about the fatal tendency of gamboge and chrome to turn black ; \'ou will be safest with aurcolin and Indian yellow as your companions.

The leaves are sturdy, deep green, and glossy, and paler on the under sides ; they make a lovely contrast, and are of immense value in throwing the gold of the flowers into strong relief.

The space at my disposal does not allow me to give a detailed study of all the floral gems greeting us " Beneath the concave of an April sky " ; but you will find them easily for yourselves — something fresh each day, if you have the time and inclination to seek it. Do not be afraid of attempting anything as too difficult ; do not despise anything as too trivial for study. If your studies do not reach an equal standard of merit, do not be discouraged, for this is characteristic of the works of the greatest artist as well as the beginner. Go on steadily and perseveringly, profiting gratefully by the opportunities for study the rich store of April's garland of flowers affords, and by the quickened energy, this " spirit of youth in everything," the month of smiles and tears brings into our lives. It is above all things a time of promise, and if we, by earnest endeavour, can show this promise in our work, surely the fulfilment will follow in due course, and bear its rich harvest of fair fruit in due season !

Flffuier Pictures.

33

34

if^^y^

ic

Mavtime ! Beloved of poets, when the beauty of the young year is at its gayest and brightest ; when breezes are soft, and skies are blue ; and when everywhere around us is the sweetness and fragrance of flowering bush and tree.

Our garden shows glorious masses of colour. Mauve

and white lilac ; rhododendrons ; azaleas ; the lovely syringa

throws its perfume around ; the laburnum's yellow tassels

(or gold rain, as the Germans aptly term it) are mingling

with the rosy ma\'.

Tlie lawn, studded with [jink-tipped daisies, is at once the despair of

the gardener and the delight of ourselves. But even the beauties of the

garden, alluring as they are, cannot keep us at home on this bright May

morning, when the voice of wild Nature is calling —

" When maytlies haunt the willow. When may-buds tempt the bee."

Many of our favourite field paths and grassy lanes, impassable during the winter months, are accessible once more ; still rather heavy walking, perhaps ; but who thinks of such a trivial incoi:venience when one is out " a-maying " .'

You must, I am afraid, put up with muddy boots if you go for a spring ramble with me ! Indeed, it has always been a proverb in our family that, if ever I led an excursion, or showed a newly-discovered footpath, it was certain to lead the unlucky person who was rash enough to follow my guidance, into the muddiest, stickiest spot to be found for miles round ; and certainly I must confess the accusation is not entirely without foundation ! Do not some of our most beautiful wild plants choose the boggiest situations for their homes ? And I was always so anxious to seek them out, and show them to my friends, that I fear I had very little consideration for the appearance of the latter ! I knew

35

many a ditcli, hidden in rank grass,

where a perfect nursery of exquisite

little ferns grew, quite unnoticed by

the casual passer-by ; the spot by

the brook where the may grew

thickest ; and where the deepest

pink wild roses were to be found ;

and the blackberries, too.

I generally returned from the

expeditions in such a woeful state

of dishevelment that I was quite

afraid to show myself at home.

How often have I anxiously

watched for an opportunity to

creep in, quietly and unobtrusivel)',

bj' the back entrance, escaping to

the shelter of my own room to

repair (or rather try to repair) the

ravages my unfortunate wardrobe

had sustained ! I seemed to have

a particular talent for tearing my

clothes, and so getting into dire

disgrace with my elders. The

little school chum who was my

companion on these treasure hunts

was one of those tidy children who always seemed able to keep trim and

fresh ; while I, alas ! was a mass of rags and tatters, scratches and mud I

It was always the pocket of my coat in which the blackberries were

stored ; always my umbrella, or rather my mother's (borrowed sur- reptitiously for the occasion on account of its crooked handle), that

got torn in endeavours to get those finest specimens that always grow out of reach 1

For our first studj- this month 1 think we ought

to take its name-sake ; and if we can choose a day

when the bright clear spring sunshine is showing up

the hawthorn bushes in all the brillianc\' of their

warm white blossoms against the cloudless blue sky,

we have a picture before us that is indeed a joy

and delight, and typical of the spring. As a study,

if we determine to paint the whole tree, this must

be treated boldly ; the lights kept broad, and

the .shadows warm ; for where can we find

cold colour anywhere when Nature is

glowing with warmth and light ?

It is impossible for inc to give you a list

The Siitchwort is one of ihe loveliest of our spring flowers.

36

37

2j;i iliB Marry 'M'sythxiB

of what colours j-ou should use for this ; yuu must rely upon j'our own observation, for different conditions of light and atmosphere completcl)' change the effect. F'or instance, if the sun is shining full on your bush, the flowers are much lighter and brighter in tone than the blue sky behind : if, on the other hand, the sun is near the horizon, the flowers will show in dark masses against the brighter light of the evening sky. Let us take a may branch home for further study, and notice carefully what a warm ycllounsh white the petals are (test this by holding the flowers against a bit of white paper), and how pretty are its little brown and pinkish stamens. I do not par- ticularly care for the double pink ma)- as a painting stud\- ; the colour is somewhat crude and monotonous ; but there is a single variety of rich crimson hue (with white centres) that would make a lovely contrast to the white.

In the copse how many favourites await our coming; the young hazels, in their dresses of wrinkly unfolding leaves, are charming in them- selves ; and then look at the floral carpet at our feet ! The lovely hazy blue of a mass of blue- bell, " the sapphire queen of mid-May," as Keats calls the purple orchis, the " long purples " of Shakespeare, the pink campion and stitchwort arc showing in the hedgerow, and the primrose is still with us, although its later blossoms are longer stalked, and its leaves have lost some of their crinkled charm since we hailed its advent with delight last month.

The stitchwort is one of the loveliest of our spring flowers, and its botanical name of Stdlaria seems to suit its starlike blossoms particularly well. It takes its English name from the fact that the old herbalists had great faith in its curative powers " against the paine in the side, stitches, and suchlike," as one writer quaintly [)uts it.

As a study in drawing, its perfectly graceful form is a delight ; but I should advise you only to make a simple pencil sketch of its beauties, for it is so fragile a flower that, before you can get out \-our paint-box, it will be faded and gone.

Take particular care to copy the graceful delicacy of the stems ; the lovely modelling of the little starlike flower ; its five petals separating into ten points after they leave the corolla ; while the grasslike leaves,

Do noi forget the little Woodruff

with its graceful bunches of starry

while blossoms.

38

3il -Lli

Four ducks on a pond, A i*rass bank beyond, A blue sky of spring, White clouds on the wing ; What a little thinj* To remember for years — To remember urith tears ! IViiiiam Allinghavi.

growing in pairs on either side of the stems of each group of flowers, are ver\' beautifully shaped.

The lovely cow-parsley is now in all its beauty in field and hedgerow, and this is another thing to try our skill if we make a study of its feathery fleeting beauty. It is a charming foreground for a landscape artist, too.

How delightful its lacclike heads of blossom look overshadowing this huge bunch of golden buttercups we plucked in the meadow, which is now a harmony of green and gold, a little later to take a still more rich effect of colour when the grasses are ripening, and the rich red sorrel comes into its own.

If you make a study of buttercups, it had better be a quick study, one you can finish at a single sitting, for the flowers, when plucked and put in water, have a funny habit of growing tall. The stems run up quite quickly, and in a short time the whole aspect of the group is changed.

Perhaps you will wonder a little at my choice of the humble dandelion for a sketch, but to my mind it is a flower never sufficiently appreciated. To the designer, whose art it is to study natural forms, and then so conventionalise them as to make them suitable for wall-papers, textiles, etc., the dandelion possesses endless possibilities. The golden petals, toothed at the edges, from which the plant takes its name of Dens leonis (lion's tooth) ; the curiously and handsomely serrated leaves ; its pointed buds ; and last, but not least, its graceful, gossamerlike puff-ball seed, so loved by the country child, are all too decorative to be passed by. This "What's o'clock" is rather a difficult customer to introduce in a floral design, and is generally best e.xpressed, I find, by wiping out the form from the background in a rather smudgy wa}% with a sable hair brush, clean water, and a bit of rag ; just lightly touching in, with a very fine brush, any little definite bits of detail that strike you most forcibly on the light side, never losing sight of its airy lightness and globular form. If you were to make out every one of those funny little umbrella- like fluffinesses of which it is composed, definitely, the downy effect of the whole would be completely lost, and its character entirely gone.

One bright morning, when you are feeling braced up for conquest, and strong enough to grapple with an_\- amount of hard work and

ndelion, with globe oS d The schoolboy's clock in every town Which the truant puffs amain To conjure lost hours back again.

Ih.lvitl

39

difficulty, let us boldly tackle a branch of that lovely lilac in the garden. All studies composed of a multitude of small flowers are not easy to portray with good effect, for there is always a tendency to make out the flowers too definitely, without treating the whole as a mass of bloom. Lilac varies very much in colour, but, as a general rule, the open flowers are more lavender blue than the pinkish mauve of the buds and the flowers in shadow. Everywhere the shadows must be kept ivann ; keep them simple, too, in effect, to give greater contract to the more detailed flowers on the light side.

If you are living near a wood, do not forget the little woodruff, with its graceful bunches of starry white blossoms and rings of dark green leaves, at intervals on its slender stems. One of our old herbalists tells us this plant " Cheers the heart, makes men merry, and helps melancholy," truly a delightful character to possess ! And even nowadays the fresh young shoots of the ll'tM- nieister (as it is called in Germany) are much esteemed in the Fatherland for flavouring the Maibowle, a favourite spring beverage, to which it gives a peculiar scented flavouring unlike anything else.

Somehow I wish very much I could see the studies you have made since you began reading these talks. I feel I am, in a measure, working in the dark, for, although I can discourse on my own difficulties and mistakes, I cannot see yours, to criticise, counsel you what to avoid or (as I am sure I should be able to do) applaud your progress.

I think every student goes through certain phases, and from time to time adopts little mannerisms that, unless (as is often the case) he is led away by some new idea, often cramp and spoil his work.

He may have seen a study or painting that has impressed him greatly, and he endeavours to work on the lines of this rather than by trying to learn with his eyes and his own brain what Nature has to disclose.

This is wrong. There is a great difference between appicciatioii and imitation, and I have a dreadful horror of the latter in all forms.

I know, when we admire a thing ver_\- much, it has a sort of un- conscious influence upon us, and this dominates, to a certain extent, our own efforts, even our own vision and conception. \\ c find this in

How sweetly smells the honeysuckle In the hush'd ni^ht, as if the world were one Of utter peace, and love, and fientleness.

40

Urn. mm I

other arts besides paintiny;, I think more particularly in music. Notice the influence of Haydn, Mozart, and Bach in the earlier works of Hecthoven, before he threw aside the conventions of his time, and allowed his genius full play among the magnificent harmonies that filled the musical world of his day with awe, and still, after a century has passed, hold us enthralled.

He had emerged from the influence of others, and we have onl)- to listen to his beautiful " Pastoral Symphony " to know how trul)- he drew his inspiration from Nature.

If I go in the country on a May morning, that wonderful first movement, with its joyous, insistent, oft-reiterated motive, is always singing in my brain ; it seems so exactly to express the happiness and brightness of wood, field, and sky.

It is a great thing to keep our idea of Nature fresh before us, and endeavour to create something, with that loving help she never withholds from us, something that is really our own inception. Am I wearying you with mj' own insistence on this ? Forgive me, and bear with me ; for I am really anxious you should profit to the utmost by the opportunities this golden month of beauty affords.

Our list of floral studies is a long one, for Nature in her bright spring dress is in a most lavish mood. What a chance for careful study this perfect riot of beauty and colours affords ! Nature never repeats her designs, and it is our pleasure and delight, in drawing flowers and plants of any kind, to notice their individual characteristics, the special points peculiarly their own, that give distinction and character to one and all. And what makes our world all the more interesting and absorbing is that, while our pencil or brush is gaining dexterity b}- practice, our eye growing more trained and true, we are also learning much of the wonders of Nature, and adding to our store of knowledge as well.

It is not a very scientific method of studying botan}-, but it is nevertheless a delightful one ; and, although vi'e may not be able to discourse learnedly on this and that order or group, " giving it," as Tennyson says, " a clumsy name," yet surely we are learning in the most enjoyable manner to distinguish the subtle differences between the varieties of plant form ; and the mere fact of translating our observations to paper impresses them far more firmly on our memory than any other method could do. With this as a basis to start on, surely we should go further in our quest for knowledge, and study intelligently the marvels and delights Nature has in store for us all.

For the true lover of Nature, once his interest is awakened, is held so closely, yet so willingly in her thraldom that he cannot draw back ; and that wonderful interest and reverence he feels in her works pervades his whole life, nay, is a part of himself

And round green roots and y«^Miuw*i>b Pale pink convolvulus in tendrils crcc

yellowing stalks I see _j„:i^ creep.

41

Thick-set the English Daisies grow» The close fresh turf between : On breezy downs, on meadows

low, In lawns, upon the banked hedgerow, Star-white, 'mid pastures green.

Out-living all blue violet bands,

And every early comer. Till children thread with sun- browned hands The Daisy-chains from flow'ring lands In the sunny days of summer. Jilla hinatii.

ff

42

'The meadow Sields Are waving in the sunshine like a sea; A billowy deep, urhose {lowers are like a foam.'

v^^

What a picture of pastoral beaut\- those lines conjure up to our imagination ! A bright, sunny morning in June, when skies are cloudless and blue, and the balmy summer breeze, gently stirring the wild luxuriance of foliage and flower, tempers the heat of the sun.

The year is at the zenith of its beauty, and the riotous profusion of Nature is still in the first blush of young maturity, before the thunder- storms of July and the scorching suns of August have caused the leaves and flowers to lose somewhat of their fresh beauty, and take a deeper note of green, as the season goes on its way.

The days are now at their longest ; the light is at its best. We have the whole long glorious day before us, to feast on its loveliness and to learn the lessons it has in store. There is so much to see and so much to do that our pencils need not be idle one moment, did we not want time also to revel in the beauty we see everywhere around us, and so become imbued, to our very souls, with the gladness it brings. If we just merely make up our minds to copy slavishly specimen after specimen of flower and leaf, never raising our eyes or pausing to consider the wider beauty of the great Out of Doors, the " Altogether," as one might term it, we shall lose much of the spirit of this lovely summer-time.

I do not mean we are to simply dream away those golden hours, and so accomplish nothing tangible at all ; but in a long bright day in June there is time to be practical enough to produce good work and also to find leisure to look around us and enjoy the gladness of it all We cannot feel discontented or disagreeable on a morning like this, no matter how irksome our burdens, however uncongenial our daily task.

43

Just try (the" effect of one day in the meadows or woods of early June and \-ou will find it a real tonic to mind and brain.

" In early June when the earth laughs out,

When the fresh winds make love to the flowers,

And woodlands sing, and waters shout."

We grudge every moment spent in- doors ; and surel\- even the most delicate mollycoddle in the world need not fear cold or chill. So let us be up betimes, not to lose the freshness and charm of the early morning, or to have to do our walking when the sun is high in the sky.

Our sketching "kit" reduced to a minimum weight, a simple sandwich luncheon added to our knapsack, a camp stool for those who do not appreciate the delights of sitting, gipsy- like, on the grass, and our outfit for a long gladsome day is complete.

Leaving the main road and motors far behind, let us follow a secluded field- path or lane, until we find a meadow or cornfield bordered with trees and hedgerows, affording, not only .some welcome shade from the sun when at its hottest, but a treasury of delightful " bits " for study as well. Graceful branches of wild roses wave above us, scattering their pink petals at our feet if we pick but one tiny bud.

44

x-'.^v

. -s*^

/

The coin is already high, though it is still green, and the glories of the scarlet poppies peer out from its depths — a joy to the artistic soul, though the farmer Io\-es them not. The>' will make a delightful subject for our first sketch. The intense orange-scarlet of the petals is rather a difficult hue to reproduce, but if we keep them very fresh and pure, orange vermilion, rose

madder and Indian yellow, used judiciously, with -,

a strong, dark background by wa>- of contrast, "'{

ought to give us a good effect.

I have found it a good plan, when requiring poppies for further study at home, to select some buds, instead of flowers fully out. These buds, if taken home and placed in water near a window (having previously had their stems cut), will open beautifully ; and, if undisturbed, will live long enough to enable us to study them with care. What a pretty group they make, with a few delicate grasses, or, best of all, some graceful heads of oats, with them !

Now is the time when the beautiful flowering grasses are at their best, and this particular class of plants is so interesting, so attractive to the eye, so useful and necessary to both man and beast, that I think it would well repay our trouble and attention if in this talk we made a special study of them.

We must remember they belong to a very large family, a family including some of our most useful and necessary cereals — even the " staff of life " itself; for it comprises wheat, besides barley, maize, rye, oats, rice, and even sugar-cane.

They are all so beautiful and varied in form that, apart from their utilitarian interest, the artist and the student must find much pleasure and delight in their careful study. They even afford a vast field of research for the arch;tologist as well, finding traces, as he does, of their cultivation in remote ages before the earliest °'""' »"■ " known civilisations of the world, and also in the time of dynasties Ar^eT long, long passed away. "The niac sc

T51. *" . , . . . inU-grasse;

i"lmy gives us his opmion that cultivated barley is the most ancient Have made of all, and modern authorities support his view, as three varieties of this cereal have been discovered in the ancient lake dwellings of Switzerland, belonging to the Stone Age. Nothing is definitely known of the original wild form of their ancestors, and possibly the varieties we find .so u.seful in the present day are widely different from their primitive forerunners.

^* ■?»*

■ * /

i*

\

gue,

without shape.

For the wind to

45

.. * - *^ *

Grass with green Ilail halt-mast hi(<h, Succory to match the sky. Columbine with horn ot honey. Scented lern and acrimony.

/\»ifrstfn.

lyi n'd. do w

rcrhaps it will be helpful and instructive to notice the special characteristics of this large and useful family of plants. Not only is it of interest in itself, but also of great service to those who wish to make studies with pencil and brush, for to understand the underlying prin- ciples of construction of anything we wish to draw is a great help towards making a characteristic reproduction of it.

The following definitions, given by Marshall Ward, are very useful in enabling us to distinguish grasses from other forms of plant life.

" The first is, their leaves are arranged in two rows alternateh- up the stems ; the second that their stems are circular and flattened in section, or if in some other shape, they are >iever triangular or solid. Moreover, the leaves are always of some elongated shape, and without leaf stalks, but pass below into a sheath, which runs some way down the steni, and is nearly always perceptibly split. Further, the stems them- selves are usually long and cylindrical, and distinctly hollow except at the swollen nodes, and only branch low down at the surface of the ground, or beneath it."

By this time we have perhaps arrived at our destination, the happ\- hunting-ground of our desires, and we are grateful for the fricndlj' shade of the giant elms in the hedgerow.

Long before we have time to make studies of all the varied treasures in the sea of waving grasses before us, the mowers will have laid them low, and on our second visit we may find our meadow studio invaded by an army of rustics, whose swiftly-moving scythes keep time together with fell, rapid strokes. Or perha[)s the whirring music of the more up-to- date mowing machine has accomplished the work of devastation still more quickly.

Well, even when the meadow grasses have fallen, and have been gathered into stacks of sweet-smelling hay, we have only to seek fresh fields and pastures for more specimens of the wonderful family now engaging our attention and delight. Leaving the meadow, whose short, stubby grass is already making a brave effort to throw out shoots for a second crop, we turn our attention to the corn-crop, growing higher and stronger each day under the brilliant midsummer sun.

It is, I am sure, unnecessary for me to warn my readers against the practice some inconsiderate folks have of heedlessly trampling down crops, either of meadow grass or in cultivated fields. If we notice the " trail " left by a careless pedestrian in search of a " short cut " over a meadow of long grass, we cannot help a feeling of anger at his thoughtlessness, and, of course, in corn or similar crops the havoc he will make, without a thought of evil-doing, is immeasurably more.

We can find our specimens on the edge of the field, near the hedge- row, or fringing the footpath, without doing damage.

Suppose now we have gathered a handful of graceful specimens of meadow grass, and returning to the shady studio under the trees we

46

« A

imm

grass and, golden-eyed, ,_i.i„ -andcrneath,

either side

opened every ruddy sheath.

The year

The daisies sparkl And chestnut t

have already chosen, let us start on our studies. There is a wonderful variety in our selection. Look, for instance, at this dainty piece of quaking grass ; how different from these straight, stiff spikes of the cat's- tail or fo.xtail grasses ! And yet they are closely related and have many features in common.

One characteristic of the whole family of the grasses is the toughness of their stems when you pluck them. If pulled hard they will sometimes cut your fingers like a knife. This leads you to notice that, although soft and succulent in early youth, the flowering stem or " culm " is invariably hollow in construction, except at the knotted joints, and this accounts largely for its strength and durabilit}-.

You will find it a good plan, first of all, to observe the structural form of this stem in your study. If you try to put in the grassy tufts of flowers first, it will be very misleading, and however carefully you think you may have copied what you see, you will experience a difficulty later on in bringing the whole mass into form and shape.

Observe carefully the main stem, and draw it in, taking note how, in most cases, the flower stalks branch out from it in groups, generally diminishing both in size and number as they approach the top of the spray ; this gives a very graceful effect.

Get these branches accurately drawn ; and the pretty little clusters of stamens, each in its protective sheath, bearing its pollen ready to shed around at the touch of the lightest breeze, will fit into their places without difficulty.

Unless you are making a purely botanical stud)-, when such details are very necessarj-, \-ou will not attempt slavishly to copj- each little spikelet of flowers, but rather try to get the soft feathery effect of the whole spray by a few direct and well-considered touches in the right place as it first strikes your eye. See to it that your stems are carefully drawn, for if they are rough and jagged, their ethereal character is lost entirel_v.

If our time in meadow or cornfield is limited, and we are unable to make all the studies we desire to do before it is time to pack up, let us take some specimens with us. The grass family, unlike most of our wild flowers, is a sturdy and long-suffering one, and a few specimens, saved with care, will give us material for study when the heavy storms, from which we are not free even in June, make working out of doors an impossibility. So keep them carefully for the " rainy day " that is sure to come, and then, if time is hanging heavily on your hands, you have a group of interesting and absorbing models before you, besides a charming decoration for your most cherished " bits " of china, whose value is too great to warrant the risk they run with the constant replenishment of water fresh flowers demand.

Onh- a bit of grass ! Are you contemptuous, and think it a

47

Grass with green flag half-mast h'n Succory to tnatch the sky, Columbine with horn of honey. Scented 5crn and agrimony.

Mea£lDi»7

¥

Perhaps it will be helpful and instructive to notice the special characteristics of this large and useful family of plants. Not only is it of interest in itself, but also of great service to those who wish to make studies with pencil and brush, for to understand the underl)-ing prin- ciples of construction of anything we wish to draw is a great help towards making a characteristic reproduction of it.

The following definitions, given by Marshall Ward, are very useful in enabling us to distinguish grasses from other forms of plant life.

"The first is, their leaves are arranged in two rows alternately up the stems ; the second that their stems are circular and flattened in section, or if in some other shape, they are ;/ez'er triangular or solid. Moreover, the leaves are always of some elongated shape, and without leaf stalks, but pass below into a sheath, which runs some way down the stem, and is nearly always perceptibly split. Further, the stems them- selves are usually long and cylindrical, and distinctly hollow except at the swollen nodes, and only branch low down at the surface of the ground, or beneath it."

By this time we have perhaps arrived at our destination, the happ_\- hunting-ground of our desires, and we are grateful for the friend!}- shade of the giant elms in the hedgerow.

Long before we have time to make studies of all the varied treasures in the sea of waving grasses before us, the mowers will have laid them low, and on our second visit we may find our meadow studio invaded by an army of rustics, whose swiftly-moving scythes keep time together with fell, rapid strokes. Or perhaps the whirring music of the more up-to- date mowing machine has accomplished the work of devastation still more quickly.

Well, even when the meadow grasses have fallen, and have been gathered into stacks of sweet-smelling hay, we have only to seek fresh fields and pastures for more specimens of the wonderful family now engaging our attention and delight. Leaving the meadow, whose short, stubby grass is already making a brave effort to throw out shoots for a second crop, we turn our attention to the corn-crop, growing higher and stronger each day under the brilliant midsummer sun.

It is, I am sure, unnecessary for me to warn my readers against the practice some inconsiderate folks have of heedlessly trampling down crops, either of meadow grass or in cultivated fields. If we notice the " trail " left by a careless pedestrian in search of a " short cut " over a meadow of long grass, we cannot help a feeling of anger at his thoughtlessness, and, of course, in corn or similar crops the havoc he will make, without a thought of evil-doing, is immeasurably more.

We can find our specimens on the edge of the field, near the hedge- row, or fringing the footpath, without doing damage.

Suppose now we have gathered a handful of graceful specimens of meadow grass, and returniu!/ to the shadv studio under the trees we

Tail

46

2si 'J''ii;J.d ailil

The year's new grass and, jioldcn-cyed, The daisies sparkle underneath,

And chestnut trees on either side Have opened every ruddy sheath.

U'iilmii! Canton.

have alread}- chosen, let us start on our studies. There is a wonderful variety in our selection. Look, for instance, at this dainty piece of quaking grass ; how different from these straight, stiff spikes of the cat's- tail or fo.vtail grasses ! And yet thc\- are closeh- related and have many features in common.

One characteristic of the whole family of the grasses is the toughness of their stems when you pluck them. If pulled hard they will sometimes cut your fingers like a knife. This leads you to notice that, although soft and succulent in early youth, the flowering stem or " culm " is invariably hollow in construction, except at the knotted joints, and this accounts largely for its strength and durability.

You will find it a good plan, first of all, to observe the structural form of this stem in yaxxx study. If \-ou try to put in the grassy tufts of flowers first, it will be very misleading, and however carefully j-ou think you may have copied what you see, you will experience a difficulty later on in bringing the whole mass into form and shape.

Observe carefully the main stem, and draw it in, taking note how, in most cases, the flower stalks branch out from it in groups, generally diminishing both in size and number as they approach the top of the spray ; this gives a very graceful effect.

Get these branches accurately drawn ; and the pretty little clusters of stamens, each in its protective sheath, bearing its pollen ready to shed around at the touch of the lightest breeze, will fit into their places without difficult}-.

Unless you are making a purch- botanical stud\-,when such details are very necessary, you will not attempt slavishly to copy each little spikelct of flowers, but rather try to get the soft feathery effect of the whole spray by a few direct and w-ell-considered touches in the right place as it first strikes your ej-e. See to it that your stems are carefully drawn, for if they are rough and jagged, their ethereal character is lost entirely.

If our time in meadow or cornfield is limited, and we are unable to make all the studies we desire to do before it is time to pack up, let us take some specimens with us. The grass family, unlike most of our wild flowers, is a sturdy and long-suffering one, and a few specimens, saved with care, will give us material for study when the heavy storms, from which we are not free even in June, make working out of doors an impossibility. So keep them carefully for the " rainy day " that is sure to come, and then, if time is hanging heavily on your hands, you have a group of interesting and absorbing models before you, besides a charming decoration for your most cherished " bits " of china, whose value is too great to warrant the risk they run with the constant replenishment of water fresh flowers demand.

Only a bit of grass ! Are you contemptuous, and think it a

A7

study beneath \-oiir notice ? More .showy plants may appeal to us. The brilliant hue of our favourites of garden and field please our sense of colour, but they cannot teach us more of structural beauty than the grasses. To the student, perhaps, the latter are especially useful, as a study of form more easily understood than when he is led away by the glory of colour in a bunch of flowers.

When you notice the loveliness of some of the feathery varieties — the fragile delicacy of their flower stems, barely thicker than a human hair, their beautiful though subdued colouring, grey-green and purple as they advance towards maturity — I think you will agree with me that they are worth careful consideration as studies, even at a time when Nature is at her gayest and brightest.

I do not mean that you are to make a study of meadow grasses to the exclusion of other flowers, but find them a little place in your programme at least, and when you are desirous of composing a group of the beauties of the field, a few sprays of grass, introduced with discretion, will act as a charming accompaniment to the brighter hues of the flowers, and look right ; because, having grown up side by side in Nature's scheme, they are in harmony one with another.

Ox-eye daisies, ragged Robin, meadow-sweet, meadow crane's-bill, poppies, cornflowers, and many others, are the glory and delight of the summer fields, and although perhaps, with limited time at our disposal, it is impossible to make studies of them all, before their brief span of life is over for another year, we can make a charming and varied selection from them, while the hedgerows afford us the beautiful traveller's joy, wild rose, honej'suckle, wild convolvulus, or morning glory, with others too numerous to mention.

Although these little chats are primarily addressed to amateur artists, they will doubtless be read also by those who have the care and upbringing of young children as their life-work. Therefore I want to have a word with them, especially.

I have often thought, when I have seen a joung nursery governess plodding wearily along the high road with her charges, as if the daily constitutional were a pain and penance to all concerned, how much more interesting and instructive to both pupil and teacher alike such a daily walk might become if the latter would teach the little ones to take more than a passing interest in the beauties of hedgerow and field. All young children love flowers naturally, but this love unfortunately often develops into mere acquisitiveness and reckless tearing up of roots, unless they are taught that this is harmful and wrong. Let the

And myriads of the tircat-eycd butterflies Hovered above the white and yellow bloon^s. And fluttered through the lirasses silver-flowered. Filled with the noise of grasshoppers and flics.

48

AN llALIAN GARDEN. Froin the Painting by Hayward Young.

Ir has occurred to me, on looking over tlie articles on floner- painting I have previously written for the Woman's Magazine, that my readers must have formed the opinion that I am a most pessimistic person ; because all through I seem to be preaching about the difficulties lying in wait for us when we try to reproduce the wonders of Nature's works. But, believe me, the very last thing I wished was to be discouraging ! I was aiming to impress upon my fellow students of natural beauty my sympathy with tlicir struggles, because my own seem to increase every day ! There ought, I think, to exist a kind of camaraderie between us. "Companions in misfortune" I was going to say, but that is not quite what I mian ; for the consciousness of our own limitations is »ot a misfortune, it is a very great asset to our ultimate success.

Nevertheless, I think it is a comforting thought for us to remember, when fits of depression come over us, that, after all, it is a healthy feeling, and one shared alike by the humblest beginners, and by those whose achievements have earned them a high place in the world of Art.

I once heard of an old village nurse, whose formula of consolation

- ■ *i^ -

re

to her patients, with complaints van'ing from fractured slcull to " housemaid's knee," used to be, "I've been through it all myself, me dear ! "

This I felt especially on reading the letter of a Scotch reader of the Woman's Maga- zine, who wrote asking my advice about a group of roses on which she was engaged ; and she expressed so aptly the troubles and trials of a flower- painter that I am taking the liberty of quoting from her letter. She says, " I ?ieverca.n get the exquisite pink of roses .... if I put on the colour too pure, it has a crimson

effect, and if it is too watery, it is not like it either, not that lovely shell-pink effect."

I felt like grasping the hand of that lady, had it not entailed such a long stretch of the arm to her far-away northern home ; for I was then engaged in trying faithfully to

portray the delicate purity of a

lovely group of wild roses I had brought

back from a country ramble, and the difficulty

of the "lovely shell-pink effect " was mine also. »

Without bringing on myself the reproach of being the bad and quarrelsome worker of the well-known proverb, I think I may say there is no pigment made that can approach the transparent beauty of a natural flower. The colours we use are as perfect as it is possible for modern chemical science to make them, but how can we expect these productions of human hands to come near the original ? Just as little as the workings of our little brains, and the handicraft of our little hands, can in our highest endeavours approach the charm the great Maker of all things beautiful has given us in the humblest flower.

When we look with admiration at some wonderful' specimens of ancient eastern craftsmanship, we cannot fail to notice an irrcgularitj' of design that, in our ideas, constitutes part of its charm. But we should wonder that the artist hand, possessed of so much cunning, could not surely have avoided these apparent mistakes, did we not know that his religion taught him, " Only One can make things perfect," and that the errors were not accident, but design. We of a different faith know that the mistakes will come of tltetnselves, iJL however we may strive for perfection, and that we cannot enter into com-

petition with the works of God. But by cultivating a taste for all things beautiful, by earnest endeavour to represent what we see before us, and a steady determination to emulate the spider of Scottish fame.

•i^;:^

whose exploits loomed so largely in the precepts of our nursery days, we can produce studies that are not only a great joy in the making, but that are sufficiently inspired with the glory of the original to cause delight and enthusiasm when the fleeting, transitory charm of our floral models has long since faded awa}'.

Roses are my favourite flowers, and I always enjoy painting them more than any other variety. Perhaps their verj' difficulties add to their charm, for their opening petals are constantly revealing some fresh beauty. I may temporarily waver in my allegiance, perhaps, when I bury my face in the cool fragrance of the first bunch of dewy violets to greet the spring, or when the warm rich colour and variet)' of the chrj'santhemums bring brightness into dreary November days. But, after all. Queen Rose reigns supreme ; the lovely blue violet lacks the variety of the rose, and the chrysanthemum (a close rival as regards colouring and variety) has a curious aromatic scent of its own, not disagreeable, but totally lacking the delightful fragrance clinging to rose petals, long after their mere beauty has passed away.

We have adopted the rose as our national flower, and in English hearts she will ever be

i(9^ ^

held dear ; whether rearing her dainty blooms above the cabbages in the humble garden of the labouring man, or flourishing in profusion in the old-world pleasance of the "lady of the manor," who takes as great an interest and pride in tending her rose garden as did her ancestress of long ago, with powdered hair and flowered gown, when she passed those mossy terraces and walks, carefully collecting and storing the fallen petals, that their sweet savour should not be lost.

As the fragrance of the dried rose-leaves brings back the remembrance of their sweetness, so may our humble efforts in ■ colour recall happy memories of the glories of rose-time, perhaps when hearts are sad and all around is drear. If we have made our studies as true to Nature as earnest observation and a desire to

e.\press Truth can help us to do (avoiding any conventional " pretti- ness," " trick," or " effect "), we shall have accomplished much.

That great Master of Medijeval Art, Albrecht Durer, tells us. '• Depart not from Nature, neither imagine of thyself aught better, for Art standeth firmly fixed in Nature, and whoso can thence rend her forth, he alone possesscth her."

V#;

One further word by way of postscript : Do not despise the day of small things ; make fragmentary studies in plenty before you attempt a large picture. The foliage of the rose in itself presents a wonder- ful series of studies in colour ; don't think that it is the blossom alone that shows pink and red and yellow and purply - crimson tints.

Notice how Nature suits the foliage to the colours of the blossoms ; look how the reddy - brown shoots of the tea-rose harmonise with the golden - red in the heart of the flowers, how the pale blue- green tint that is on the foliage of some of the pale pink roses seems just the e.xact colour needed to bring out the shell-like colour- ing of the buds.

And have you particularly looked at the colour on the out- side petals th.at enclose the rose-buds ? These alone are worth careful study ; they often show some most exquisite colours that are not necessarily repeated in the fully blown flower. Studies such as these are of infinite value to the artist ; they train the eye, the mind, and also the heart ; for they foster a love and reverence for God's handiwork as seen in Nature.

A DUTCH GARDEN OF FLOWF.RING BULBS. From the Paintins by Haywnrd Young.

3iQ ITiald. iijiri

teacher herself study Nature and wild life generally, and teach the simplest rudiments, in the simplest manner, to the little ones, awaken their interest in things beautiful, and the}- will take the keenest delight in the pursuit of this new hobby : the weary walk of yesterday will be a pleasure and joy to-da\-, not onl)- to the youngsters, but to their teacher as well.

If the teacher can urge them to select a few of the simplest leaves and flowers (also impressing on them that they must be gathered without injury to the plants) and, on reaching home, encourage them to make little pencil drawings, what a good work that \vould be !

These early efforts may be crude and almost laughable perhaps ; but, above all, be encouraging ; the elements of an intelligent interest in Nature are there, and will develop and fructify as time goes on.

After the little student has made his rude drawing from the natural flower, ask him some elementary questions respecting its form, number of petals, etc., teach him the simple English name, and anything else you know about it that is not beyond his comprehension.

The once dull perfunctory walk is now a quest of delight, and the specimens gathered will afford an occupation for dull days, when lessons are over, and even romping has palled : while the progress of the pupils will stimulate the teacher to fresh efforts and interest in a most fascinating pursuit on her own behalf as well.

Who can deny the refining and educational influence of this habit of observation on all ? It is almost im- possible to gauge the far-reaching results it may have on the future. Not only is the child learning much of botany, natural history, and Nature wonders generally, but he is being trained into a habit of looking intelli- gently and with understanding at all he sees around him, which will, without doubt, be of immense service to him in later life. Whatever his future calling, whatever his rank in life, be he poet, philosopher, painter, musician,

The Rosy'Red Campion.

49

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f i^"-

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professional or business man, artisan or mecnanic, this early trainins^ will assist him in his career.

The promoters of the great m^ ^jjL scouting movement, now playing so

|t ^ Jli>IWP important a part in the education

' ^^^^^ of the )-ounger generation, have

recognised this. Those young lads, many of them coming from the poorest homes, where their outlook has perforce been a limited and sordid one, are able, after a little training, to give most intelligent information about what they have seen on their expeditions. They are taught to notice natural features of the country, objects of interest, the way of the wind, the stars, temperature, etc., and to make records of all they see. And this intellectual develop- ment, aided by the discipline, the excellent moral rules laid down in their code, and the — ^^lj^L^^_^ physical training in the open air, cannot fail, as

^^^^^Hr the movement spreads, to have a great and

^^F glorious effect on the future of our race.

Let all of us who have the care of young children, or who come into contact with them in our daily life, do our best to sow the good seed in the fertile soil of their impressionable Nouth, and try our utmost to inculcate and foster a love and veneration for the boundless store of God's gifts, by interesting them, from their earliest years, in the objects of wonder and beauty too many of us pass heedlesslj^ by.

The understanding of the .structure and function of the smallest of these, and the '

place it holds in the wonderful scheme of the Universe, will not only have an ennobling effect on character, but will surely lead to a greater reverence and understanding of our Creator, through the vast and fathomless wonders of His works.

Whether we be artists, amateurs, teachers, or students, let us try to see Nature truly and surely, and, as Ruskin tells u,s, " Be humble and earnest in following the steps of Nature, and tracing the finger of God." • ;

We cannot all be great artists, for we are not all gifted to the same extent. But we all can be sincere and reverent in our work.

:'

Meadow Cranesbill.

...•^SSS^S"''

'Wild i^^itniTB

This chapter embraces a very wide field for discussion — so wide and varied that I must own I hardly know where to commence. But, in spite of all its difficulties, the subject is a most fascinating one, and will lead us, in quest of our most delightful material, through sunlit meadows, over breez}- commons, and by tangled hedge- rows, each with some new treasure and delight peculiarly its own.

This is not an excursion for smart shoes and frivolous

clothing, for some of our most charming models are verj'

defensive, and, armed with sharp prickles and spines,

seem to protest against our depredations. So, if we are

contemplating a raid on the hedgerows during our progress

where wild rose, bramble, blackthorn, and many other more

or less prickly sojourners display their beauties, let me warn you, don'(

wear a knitted coat, or you will soon find yourself enveloped in a perfect

Penelope's web of tangled yarn, from which you cannot extricate

yourself without a great deal of damage and difficulty ! High thick

boots that have reached the age of ease, and tweed clothes past their

first youth, is the garb />ar excellence for our expedition. Don't forget

stout leather gloves, and a crooked stick — always a most trusty and

serviceable companion in the country.

Our sketching " kit " must not be a very elaborate one — -just what we cannot do without ; for an extensive outfit (with easel, camp-stool, umbrella, etc.) is a very tiring burden for a summer's day. Just our sketch-book or block, colour-box, brushes, pencil and water-carrier — in a knapsack for choice, in which we must al.so find room for a small card- board box, filled with damp cotton-wool ; this will enable us to keep

The lea! with

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4'

^^

'Wi]

I-ili

^

imcns we may desire to bring home for further studj- deii,<:;htfully cool and fresh.

I generally take an elderly rainproof coat on my excursions, for it serves the double purpose of protection from passing showers, and affording me a dry seat when sitting at my work on the grass, for I must plead guilty to liking this humble and inelegant position above all others when " far from the madding crowd."

Ever since my childhood, wild flowers have

» 7 \r .X. - -^i^. held a great charm for me, and I can remember , -.J how, in those golden hours of long ago, I used to

steal away through a hole in the hedge of my country home, known only to the chickens and myself, to the forbidden ground of a neighbouring meadow, and there revel in the long, and often damp, grass, with its treasures of golden buttercups and dandelions, and its high cow-parsley towering above my limited stature. Here I would remain until found and reprimanded by those in authority over me, and condemned to the tamer delights of the garden, with its trim lawns and gravelled walks. Xo scolding, no fearsome tales of irate farmers, or imaginary hobgoblins,

could ever shake my longing for that enchanted

field, which presented a sort of El Dorado to

my youthful imagination.

The happy days of childhood have fled,

the country home is no longer ours, but I

still have the same feeling of enthusiastic

delight in ^^ature's boundless store of jewels,

when, on a bright sunny morning, armed with

my knapsack and some simple provisions, I

take an early train away from the smoke of

the city, to one of the many beauty spots

still left within easy reach of town (did we

Londoners only trouble to find them out),

and there spend a long, lovel)- day amidst

most delightful surroundings.

Many of the little studies that i\Ii.ss

Klickmann has scattered throughout this

volume owe their origin to these country trips.

I generally collect a few pretty little specimens

on m)' way, and then choose a shady spot for

When Daisies pied, and Violets blue. And Ladysmoclfs all silver white,

And Cuckoo-buds ot yellow hue Do paint the meadows with deliUht.

.S/;,i<v.,/r,..f.

52

1

my open-air studio. For I must most emphatically warn you, when working out-of-doors, not to have the sun on your work ; the glare on the white paper not only is extremely bad for your eyes, but will give }our sketch a hard and crude appearance when taken indoors.

Sometimes one can find very beautiful groups of wild flowers, and work from them as they grow ; the little bit of ivy-leaved toad-flax was worked out from a sketch made thus in Somerset last year. And I only wish I could call colour to m\- aid to show you how beautiful it looked with its delicately shaded heart-shaped leaves, and tiny mauve flowers, against its background of mossy grej' stone wall.

A spray of wild rose, or bramble on a hedgerow, makes also a lovely sketch, but I think that, as a general rule, it is almost best, while we are in- experienced students, to detach a suitable spray from its surroundings, and to put it against a plain simple background, such as a leaf from our sketch- book ; so that we can see the actual form of petal, leaf, and stem, apart from confusing elements around. Many of the most beautiful of our floral gems J^ wff hide themselves so modestly among their bolder

neighbours that they are almost concealed from our view. And many are so short of stature that, unless we contemplate a bird's-eye view, we should have to lie flat on the ground to get a good " point of sight."

It requires a very skilled hand to paint, with good effect, masses of wild flowers as they grow in the lovely surroundings in which they were born ; and perhaps this is more within the province of ' " ^^ the landscape painter, who can find immense value

in these broad masses of colour as foregrounds for his studies of rural beauty.

I am writing this on a July da)' ; the glory of the spring woods has departed ; the season has moved onward, and laid a mellowing hand on hedgerow and copse ; and the beauties of early spring are maturing towards the fulfilment of their part in Nature's scheme. Most of the wild roses have faded, and are already showing their fruit, though green as yet. Here and there you may find a bush of the white variety still in bloom, and entwined with honeysuckle.

Tiie may-flowers have also turned to brown, and show promise of a glorious store of deep red berries to gladden our sight in the coming autumn, and to prove a rich harvest to the song-birds, whose voices are hushed now in the heat of the day. But what a wealth of beautiful flowers is still left us for our studies ! Though the mower has ruthlessly

White butterSlies in the air. White Daisies prank the ground ;

The cherry and the hoary pear Scatter their snow around.

A'oicrt BrUees.

S3

The Pageant of WUd Nature

^fe

cut down the gloi)- of the long grass of the field, round its borders are still left some late ox-eye daisies, meadow-sweet, tall hemlock, and many others.

In the ripening corn the poppy dazzles our sight ; the cornllowcr still shows its bright blue eye ; the field scabious and vetch give us delightful shades in mauve and purple ; the yellow toad-flax is in flower, while the common is a perfect feast of colour with its wealth of bell heather, and dwarf furze, whose orange-coloured flowers, contrary to those of its early flowering cousin, the gorse, generally appear with those of its neighbour, the heath, and, clinging with prickly affection to the latter, make a scheme of colour so gorgeous in the summer sun as to be almost dazzling to the sight.

Suppose our quest has taken us by the silver sea. Here we have man\' additions to our inland flora. The lovely tamarisk, although not, I believe, an actual native of our shores, is flourishing and in bloom, its rosy spikes showing out against its feathery foliage ; the yellow horned poppy and the lovely pink thrift are also lovers of the salt air ; while yellow and white lady's bedstraw, scabious, and ragwort all grow in wild profusion on the cliffs. If the latter are chalk, I expect you will notice, as I have done, that not only are blue flowers, such as harebells, scabious, campanula, etc., most prolific, but the blue butterflies predominate as well.

The subject of wild flower painting is such a wide one that it is

impossible for me, within the limits of this little article, to laj' down any

definite rules for the colouring, etc., of the different varieties,

beyond advising you to sketch in lightly the general direction

and jiroportion of your spray, and then, if you have not time to

finish the whole of it before it fades, take a small part, and do

your utmost to render it as like to the

living reality as you can, keeping as far as

possible its dclicac}' of colour and beauty

of form.

These little studies may not be pictures,

but thej' will help us more on our road

to the success we hope for b)--and-b\' than

a more complicated arrangement, be\'ond

(Hir powers of achievement, would have

done. .And meanwhile, not only are our

eyes seeing more clearly, our fingers through practice

getting more sure of touch ; but we arc studj-ing

the beautiful under most delightful conditions : our

knowledge of Nature lore is increasing daily ; and

our health and spirits are rising proportionatels' as

well. In our studio in the summer wood, or under

the cloud-flcckcd sky of heaven, we have the (Utiidl

And her eye* arc dark and humid

like the depth on depth of lustre Hid i' the harebcH.

54

•Wild, i^a-inji'a

ntinospJicre in which the subjects of our studies were born ; and who could help being more imbued with a sense of beaut)- under such conditions than within the limits of four brick walls?

Without wishing to be discouraging, however, I think you will find the difficulties of light and shade tremendous!}- increased when worlcing out-of-doors. The side-light from our sitting-room window, where our studies have previously been made, in a measure focused the light from one particular point on our group, though even there the effect was variable, owing to atmospheric conditions. But out-of-doors the light is for ever changing, and instead of the side-light that gave us the definite shadow so helpful in enabling us to grasp a strong effect, we have a bright soft light so diffused and so transient that the effect may be totally different before we are half-way through the simplest sketch.

Suppose, for example, when the sky was overcast b}- a passing cloud, we had commenced a study of those lovely sturdy ox-eye daisies, which so utterly eclipse in beauty their pampered greenhouse cousins. You probably sketched in your flowers, and began to shade in your delicate greys and shadows, and the cool green grass amongst which the\- grow, when — -Hey ! presto I a sunbeam ! and all is changed. The white petals of the flower stand out like a halo round the yellow centre as the sun glints through, and the cool grey-green grass and leaves are grey-green no longer, but almost golden in their brilliancy and warmth. We cannot alter our first sketch to suit the wonderful change the sun- shine has wrought ; we must make another under the new conditions. Sometimes we are almost in despair at what we consider an alarming waste of nice white paper ; but with each attempt, poor and crude as we may deem it, we have Icarut something, received a new- impression photographed on our minds, and made one step further on the long road of our ambition.

Don't destroy these little attempts ; date them carefully and store them by, and you will be astonished and interested, when the same flowers come round in their seasons again, to see the progress you have made, simply by perseverance and determination to conquer the difficulties that lie in your path. You still may feel a long way from the goal of your ambition, for I know of no study that has a more humbling effect on our estimate of our own powers than the study of Nature. But each step of the way has opened up new beauties and delights ; and wrestling bravely with our difficulties has been a most wholesome exercise for us in every way.

To those of you who have the great advantage of a home in the countr}-, I would say, seize every opportunity, if you would succeed in flower painting, to draw, draw, draw all you see before you.

Suppose, if your time is your own, you made a practice of getting some new specimen of natural beaut)- on your daily walks. I believe you would find something of fresh interest every day, even in " Barren

The FoxjSlovc on fair Flora's hand is worn.

Lest while she fathers flowers

55

MHM

Dan	:e to the be	itt o{ the	rain, little	Fe
And	spread out	your p	alms
And	say: "Tho	' the s	iin ajjain
Hath my vestu	e spun
He had labour*	•d also	in vain
But	5or the sha	de
Tha	the cloud	had m	Ade,
And	the rtift ot	the de	N and rain
The	n lauiih an	d uptur	n
All	your fronds	, little	Fern.
And	rejoice in	the beat of the r.	lin.

^hB PacjciHiri ox

Winter, with liis wiathful nippinrj cold " (though then, of course, your stud)' must be pursued indoors). \\ hy, a few bare twigs make a lovely study, and will teach you much of the growth of the various species of tree ; a trail of ivy ; a few fallen beech leaves, all curly from the frost ; and endless other things will suggest themselves. One November, Miss Klickmann asked me to make some drawings of " little stalky bits in the hedgerows," such as she herself had noticed on a country walk that week in Sussex. And, on making a pilgrimage to the nearest available spot in search of like material, I passed a most delightful, though somewhat damp afternoon, coming home, in the early- falling twilight, very muddy and bedraggled in appearance, but surprised and delighted at the wealth of pretty things I had found — sprays of frost-tinted leaves, mosses, dried and bleached grasses, and seed-vessels, which the autumnal gales had robbed of their contents, but beautiful even in their decay.

There is always something of interest to be found in the hedgerows. Once when I was staying in the West, and enjoying my inherent propensity for grubbing in ditches, I used to " pass the time of day " with an old hedger and ditcher, whose duty it was to keep tid)' and spoil the beauty of a lovely wild lane. He evidently thought my interest in those flowering banks was purely a greedy one, for wild strawberries grew in abundance, and he would tell me, with a smile, he had left a nice lot round the corner for me !

But when he saw me making sketches of " Ragged Robin " and " Jock o' the Hedge," he seemed quite distressed at my bad taste in selecting " they veeds ! " and invited me to work in his garden instead, where he had " as vine a row of zunflowers as ever ee zee ! "

The year, with its changing seasons, is a sort of processional pageant of wild nature. Hardly has the old year breathed its last sigh than the hazel tree hangs out its \'cllow tassels to welcome the new. In February the flower buds on the elm-trees show red against the changing sky ; and so it goes on, month by month, a succession of beauty, always changing, never still.

56

I

6'tr"

ip«^-

■It,

•«;* «» <6*'

Dan<	;c t» the beat ol the rain, little	Fern,
And	spread out your palms
And	say; "Tho* ihe sun attain
HatK my vesture spun,
He had laboured also in vain
But	For the shade
Thai	I the cloud had made,
And	the liilt ol the dc» and rain
Thei	n lauiih and upturn
All your fronds, little Fern,
And	rejoice in the beat of the ra	iin.

■Wild.

Winter, with his wrathful nipping cold " (though then, of course, your study must be pursued indoors). Why, a few bare twigs make a lovely study, and will teach you much of the growth of the various species of tree ; a trail of ivy ; a few fallen beech leaves, all curly from the frost ; and endless other things will suggest themselves. One November, Miss Klickmann asked me to make some drawings of " little stalky bits in the hedgerows," such as she herself had noticed on a country walk that week in Sussex. And, on making a pilgrimage to the nearest available spot in search of Hke material, I passed a most delightful, though somewhat damp afternoon, coming home, in the early- falling twilight, very muddy and bedraggled in appearance, but surprised and delighted at the wealth of pretty things I had found — sprays of frost-tinted leaves, mosses, dried and bleached grasses, and seed-vessels, which the autumnal gales had robbed of their contents, but beautiful even in their decay.

There is always something of interest to be found in the hedgerows. Once when I was staying in the West, and enjoying my inherent propensity for grubbing in ditches, I used to " pass the time of day " with an old hedger and ditcher, whose duty it was to keep tidy and spoil the beauty of a lovely wild lane. He evidently thought my interest in those flowering banks was purely a greedy one, for wild strawberries grew in abundance, and he would tell me, with a smile, he had left a nice lot round the corner for me 1

But when he saw mc making sketches of " Ragged Robin " and " Jock o' the Hedge," he seemed quite distressed at my bad taste in selecting " they veeds ! " and invited m.e to work in his garden instead, where he had " as vine a row of zunflowers as ever ee zee ! "

The year, with its changing seasons, is a sort of processional pageant of wild nature. Hardly has the old year breathed its last sigh than the hazel tree hangs out its )cllow tassels to welcome the new. In February the flower buds on the elm-trees show red against the changing sky ; and so it goes on, month b\' month, a succession of beautx-, always changing, never still.

Nl.

I^*^^"-^';,

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56

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57

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Has there ever been a time when the word " garden " was not beloved by English hearts ? From the spacious grounds of the lordly castle, with their wide-spreading lawns adorned with stately cedars, lakes, and fountains, to the little plot of the humblest cottage, where cabbages, turnips, and the old- fashioned country perennials grow harmoniously side by side, each has a charm and beaut)' pcculiarl)- its own, and in every case it is typically British in character.

'Tis true we have from time to time borrowed our ideas of garden planning from abroad, but these ideas have been so modified to suit the natural features of the country and climate, and so adapted to the conditions of English life, that (although their scheme may owe some fundamental origin to imported ideas) they have settled down into a type of beauty unrivalled elsewhere. The formality of the Italian garden, the artificiality of the French, and the primness of the Dutch, have each left an impression on our old-time pleasure grounds ; but the passing of years, and the moistness of our much abused climate, have so happiU' blended together and softened their peculiarities, and any formality of construction has been .so lovingly and charmingly touched by the artist hand of Nature and the mellowing effect of age, that their stiffness is entirely gone, leaving only a quaint old-world beauty that constitutes their greatest charm.

It is difficult to trace a time when gardens were first planted in England as a pleasure and delight to the eye, and not merely for the utilitarian necessity of vegetables for the table. We are apt to speak f)f a formal garden as " Dutch " ; but it is certain that we possessed very many beautiful gardens, full of trellis-work and terraces, and fearful and wonderful specimens of topiary art, long before Dutch William brought

I oltcn, when a child, for hours

Tried through the pales to (Set the tempting flowers

As lady's laces, everlasting peas,

True-love-lies-bleeding, with the hearts-at-case.

And golden rods, and tansy running high,

That o'er the pale-tops smiled on passers-by.

59

Out in the rai	in a	world is growintt f£reen,
On half the trci	es quick buds arc seen
Where lil	ued.	-on buds have been.
Out in the	rair	> God's acre stretches
tirccn,
Its harvest	qui)	;:k thou)<h still unseen:
For there	the	Life hath been.

221 axi

his countryineii over to embellish the grounds at

Hampton Court and Kensington Palace. There

were probably gardens planted in Britain bj' the

Romans, as we know both the Roman and Greek

* nations carried the art to a very high degree of

. excellence. ]\Iedi;eval gardens were on very formal

lines, with flower beds in geometrical patterns, and

high stiff hedges. A beautiful description of a garden in the fifteenth

century is given in the " Kings Ouhair," when the Royal lover from his

prison tower sees his mistress walking in the garden at Windsor :

•■ Fast by the towris wall A garden fair, and in the corners set Ane arbour green with wandis long and small Railed about and so with trees set W'.-is all the place, and hawthorn hedges knet."

There is an indefinable "something" about these old-world that appeals to us all, and the\- afford delightful opportunities for the flower painter who would make his studies from plants as they grow, for they have the charm of a sentimental interest as well as a <

decorative one.

Those mossy flagged walks where bjgone genera- tions have trod ; those richly-coloured old brick walls, to which the old-fashioned clematis and roses cling lovingly as of yore. Everywhere an old-world charm that the flight of Time has enhanced rather than lessened, for with the passing years the girth and beauty of those majestic trees have increased, and everything has settled into a great harmonious " whole " impossible to find in the most carefully- planned new garden.

Some of my earliest recollections are of an old garden 1 used to visit in very tender y-ears ; and its beauty so impressed m\' childish miiul that I can see it plainly before me even now.

A broad flight of stone steps, mossy green and splashed with orange-coloured lichens, led down from the casement windows of the old red-brick house, over a sinooth, sloping lawn gay with flower beds, to where beyond, in the orchard, one came upon the remnant of an old-time moat, its still surface thickly- studded with water-lilies white and yellow, over which the ancient apple-trees bent their gnarled and whitened trunks, in spring shedding a shower of rosy petals into the water below. An old

warden >

60

The woodr

hasty tect full

Shcltcr'd

old	halt-rottei
StUIT	IP beside,
The	sight V.	r il
chcc	r his s	oli
tary	hour
And i:	irfic his	Fee

brick bridge, flanked with somewhat dilapi- dated statuary and vases, spanned this moat, and everywhere the mosses, lichens, and clustering ivy gave an added grace and charm.

It is long since I saw that old garden : the friends who owned it have passed away : but I have often wondered if subsequent owners have appreciated its dignified early eighteenth century air, or v/hether it has been fatally tidied up and " improved " to suit more modern ideas !

In such a garden are studies in plenty : the old-fashioned white cluster rose and " maiden's- blush " climbing over a rustic \

arch ; the " herbaceous border " sunning under the warm brick wall, the sturdy buttresses of which are almost hidden with masses of iMj'

purple and white clematis in luxurious pro- vT '

fusion ; the water-lilies with their broad flat leaves in large patches on the surface of the moat, breaking the reflections of blue sk}- and dark trees.

In a little corner in a garden like this you have a study before }'ou full of joy and delight.

That tall spike of madonna lilies, standing so freshly white against the deep rich tones of the closely-cropped yew hedge, makes a picture in itself; or that group of hollyhocks, showing out clearly against the sky as we see it from our lowly seat on the grass — what brilliant colouring of reds, yellows, and pinks, and how the large rough leaves throw up this brightness to the best effect I

Then look at that orange-coloured climbing rose, and how delight- fully its rich foliage and brilliant flowers harmonise with the old grey stone gate-post over which it is growing !

Any of these will make a charming sketch in colour, but it must be treated broadly m masses, for it is not possible, in this brilliant shimmer, of outdoor summer-time, to copy accurately each flower and leaf

Our eyes are attracted by the beauty of the whole, more than by individual blossoms, and it is to represent this general effect that we must direct our best efforts, rather than by painting each spray for itself as we have done in making single studies.

Perhaps you may think this sounds as if we must undo what we have previously learnt with so much trouble and pains ? Not at all ! These earlier studies have taught us much of form and colour, and this is not only helpful when painting single specimens and sprays, but will have given us a knowledge that will enable us to grasp their special

A Bunch of the

Waving Gay

Coreopsis,

In aii Old

The fairest flower

of the scAson Arc our> carnation

cliaiacteristics more siirch- when working from them as they grow.

It is a difficult matter, I l-cnovv, to mass . these growing groups of flowers with good effect, and to know exactlj- to which we should give prominence, and which should be quieted down and allowed to retire, modestly and unobtrusively, into the back- ground. Look at that herbaceous border simply flaming w-ith colour in the heat of the morning sun. The brilliancy of the clumps of nasturtium, marigold, candy-tuft, sweet pea, etc., is dazzling ; but would it make quite a pleasing picture ? Everything is in the same bright key, nowhere can the eye rest from its almost kaleidoscopic effect. I think if it were painted under these conditions it would remind us of some of those modern atrocities of colouring in embroidery and textiles that their perpetrators fondly call " Bulgarian ! " Now a picture wants something more than a mere patchwork effect, however beautiful the colours may be in themselves.

As our eyes are surely drawn to one object, and our power of vision is attracted to one particular spot, so must we endeavour to concentrate the attention of our spectator to one special [loint of interest, some point that is arrestive of his first glance. Having determined this, let the composition contain some broad spaces of restfulness and quiet, thus

and streaked not Only affording a welcome relief

:-i<v</,vi,,. '^o ^^^ ^y^> but by force of contrast

enhancing, in the most wonderful way,

the values of the brightness in the

principal interest in the whole study.

.And here we cannot fail to be •struck with the immense artistic value of a shadow. It is the same in picture- making as in our lives, I think ; the contrast of the shadow, through which we must all inevitably jjass at some time on Life's journey, has been of great value in helping us to appreciate the sunsiiine lying bej-ond.

Lately I have been engaged on a commission to paint an old garden full of flowers, and my client was

Em am Dlri

anxious the drawing should be kept " very bright and sunn}-, showing a profusion of summer bloom."

The subject fascinated me, and I worked verj- hard at that picture for some time, but with great dissatisfaction to myself, for although I had a great many studies I had made from growing flowers to help me, and m\- composition, with an old Tudor house beyond, and herbaceous border and sundial in middle distance and foreground, composed well pictoriall}-, I could not get an effect that pleased me. Although it all looked bright, it was not sunny at all !

I suddenly thought, could I throw a shadow, cast per- haps by an old wall in front, it might improve matters ; and it was really wonderful the difference it made to the whole painting, for it at once concentrated the interest of the spectator on the sunn}- patch beyond.

I think the most beau- tiful effect of all in painting flowers out-of-doors is to be obtained, not when the sun is at its highest, and in- sistent on showing up ever}-- thing in a hard brilliancy of light, but when, later in the day, it is slowly sinking to rest ; casting long shadow-s over lawn and path, and lending a kindly indefinite- ness to distance, showing ev-erything in broad masses

*^ And J

against the mellow light of The :

the sky, without worrying the eye with minor detail.

It is almost impossible to get anythin light has faded away, and the greyness of evening has taken its place ; but once the general effect is caught, you will be able to work at it again on subsequent evenings, when the conditions of light are the same.

Always endeavour, when painting flowers or indeed an}-thing else in water-colour, to keep \-our colours bright and fresh, and to work as

oS hoUyhoc :in he faint.

n sip.

but a quick sketch before the

63

The columbines, stone blue, or deep ni^ht brown. Their honeycomb-like blossoms hanginii down; Each cottafie garden's fond adopted child, Though heaths still claim them, where they yet gr

directly as \-ou know how, thereby avoiding the inuddiness so fatal to good effect in everything, but perhaps most particularly in flowers, whose brightness and freshness constitutes their own particular charm.

Look long at your models before putting brush to paper ; determine your colours, and try them first on another piece of paper of the same texture without making experiments on j-our study itself This careful deliberation at the outset may be the means of saving you much trouble later on ; it maj' save you the painful necessity of " sponging," or " washing out," and thereby worrying the surface of your paper until a roughened woolly surface is the result. Even the best water-colour papers will not stand indiscriminate scrubbing. \'eteran water-colour artists have told me that the paper we buy at the present day is vastly inferior to that of the good old times, when linen rags, instead of cotton, were used in its manufacture.

When once a water-colour looks dirt)% smudgy, crude, and dis- appointing, I would infinite!}' rather commence an entirely new study than spend endless time and exhaust my patience in trying to improve

the old. Clear fresh colour cannot possibly be obtained over a founda- tion of muddiness, and the use of Chinese white is opaque and any- thing but satisfactoi)-.

A fellow student of mine, who was interested in flower-painting, once showed me a study she had made of some big field daisies, and although she had taken great pains with tliem, she was artist enough to see there was some- thing haixl and unpleasing about the group : the greys were crude ami ink)-, and quite unlike the pearl}- purit}- of the shades in the actual flowers ; the shadows were heavy and dark ; the centres hard and of a mustardy hue. She asked me what she could do to improve the whole group. " Re- paint it entirely ! " I answered, '' for I am quite sure it will never look fresh and pure with merely touching up."

She looked at nic with astonish- ment and reproach in her eyes. " Kff>niiit it ! " she exclaimed,

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65

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" but think of the wastefulness of using another piece of that ex- pensive water-colour paper I "

I felt quite abashed at the estimate she had formed of my wicked extravagance, for artists' materials //o make a big hole in a limited supply of pocket money ! Rut at the present time, with matured judgment to help me, I still feel I was right about it : it is impossible to avoid this apparent ^^^ waste at times, for wc must pay for experience in

"^^B everything, and the experience we have gained, even

from our failures, has not been lost.

That dirty, discarded sketch has taught us what to avoid in our next effort, and surely that lesson is worth a few pence spent on a piece of paper. If great economy has to be practised, I would rather buy a cheaper make of paper for these studies, which, after all, are only stepping-stones to something higher, and have no pretensions to being finished works of Art. Whatman's " second quality " for students is reallj- quite excellent material to work upon, being the " throw- outs," i.e. slightly defective pieces of the finest qualit)- made. Sometimes the flaws are unnoticeable, but in any case it is quite good enough for practice, and it is certainly better and more satisfactory to begin a clean, fresh drawing than to muddle about in a desultory way with Que already spoiled.

Of course, I know alterations are inevitable at times. It happens occasionally that when a group is nearing completion, a glaring fault in composition, that has hitherto escaped our notice, strikes us in the most unpleasantly decided way. In building up the picture, and having it constantly before us da\' by day, its very defects have become so familiar that wc have grown unconsciouslj- to consider them right. But when once we have seen these mistakes, or had our attention drawn to them by a candid critic, the)- obtrude themselves on us so persistentlj- that we cannot rest until we have done our best to remedy them.

Suppose, for example, in painting a group of flowers we have, unconsciously to ourselves, so arranged tbeni that the)* follow each other,at equal distances (and perhaps in equal sizes), in a straight line, or perhaps they are .so grouped that they mount one above the other at an angle of forty-five degrees, like a flight of steps.

Once such a mistake is noticed we cannot help seeing it all the time, to the total suppression of any excellent points there may otherwise be in the painting of the pictuic. It must be altered, we feel, but how?

MoM bcAUtco	us when its flowers assu
Their autumr	L lorm ot leathery plume.
	Bis/io/. .yfanl.

66

Don't do anything rash, for that is fatal. Perhaps, after all, a small alteration is all that is necessary. For instance, one of the blooms in that too obvious line may only require toning down so that it recedes into the background, and so breaks the ugly stiffness of the straight row. But which flower shall it be ?

It is an excellent plan, when in doubt on a matter like this, to make a sort of a mask on another bit of paper, cut to the size of the flower we wish to alter, and then, having roughly sketched in and coloured it according to our new ideas, to try the effect of it in its place in the group, so that we do not commit ourselves to any radical alteration before we are quite sure the composition will be improved by it.

When actual washing out is unavoidable, it must be done with the greatest care, and with as little scrubbing and disturbing of the surface of the paper as possible. Put the water on the place you wish to wipe out, with a soft clean brush, and (after having allowed it to remain a few moments to soak out the colour) blot it up, with rag, sponge or blotting-paper, with a firm pressure, but never rubbing it, and thereby worrying the paper into a rough hairy surface that will give you endless trouble when working on it again.

Do not attempt to do the latter while the paper is wet and wobbly, for this is disastrous.

Sometimes a composition is spoiled by overcrowding ; this is ex- ceedingly irritating to the eye, and must be changed, even if in so doing we have to sacrifice some of the flowers on which we have lavished much careful work. Too tightly packed a bunch is ugly, so some of the blooms must be weeded out, and a little of the background shown through.

Another fault to guard against is that of getting an equal amount of background, of an equal density of colour, round each flower ; this is quite unnatural, and very hard in effect. Faults of composition are bound to come occasionally in the work of everybody, be he beginner or Royal Academician : even the most talented painter cannot be sure of all his works reaching the same high artistic level. h'ailures are bound to occur sometimes, and so the true artist takes them philosophically, and accepts the lessons they invariably teach. Leslie tells us, " It is the happiness of a genuine painter that he is all his life a student. If the education of such a one could be finished, his Art would become little else than a mechanical routine of the pencil, and he would sink into that large class who are dexterous in everything and great in nothing."

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The (other day I was looking through an old, old book (one of those " Albums " so dear to the early Victorian heart) on whose tinted pages gentle slender fingers, now for ever still, had delicately traced sentimental verses, elaborately stippled pencil drawings, and still more elaborate " groups " of flowers in water colour.

If, as we are told, genius is "an infinite capacity for taking pains," surely these little pictures have the stamp of genius upon their shiny Bristol board surface, for how carefully and laboriously has each little leaf and petal been shaded and finished, and yet — how curiously unreal they are ! Were ever there roses so round, so stiff, so " cabbagy " in shape? And were they always surrounded by those cold bluey-green leaves, with their symmetrical veinings and serrations in a darker shade of the same hue ?

There is usually a gaily-striped tulip in the same group, perhaps also a polyanthus, and some forget-me-nots, but they are all of them very well-behaved little flowers, and " keep their places " with wonderful and quite unnatural regularity, as if each floweret and leaf had been carefully gummed or pinned into position. While as for hanging over the edge of the elegant vase in which they are placed ! — they are much too staid and stiff to be guilty of such an impropriety !

There is a great charm in the.se little souvenirs of a bygone age, with their memories, tender and sad, of those who have passed from our sight; but it is a charm of sentiment and association, of veneration for times of long ago. As studies of Nature they are only of value in a

69

.-*., •r

68

■^."

IPaaiaMifiii liiu^m,

The s other day I was looking through an old, old book (one of those " Albums " so dear to the early Victorian heart) on whose tinted pages gentle slender fingers, now for e\'er still, had delicately traced sentimental verses, elaboratel}- stippled pencil drawings, and still more elaborate "groups " of flowers in water colour.

If, as we are told, genius is "an infinite capacity for taking pains," surely these little pictures have the stamp of genius upon their shiny Bristol board surface, for how carefully and laboriously has each little leaf and petal been shaded and finished, and yet — how curiously unreal they are ! Were ever there roses so round, so stiff, so " cabbagy " in shape ? And were they always surrounded by those cold bluey-green leaves, with their symmetrical veinings and serrations in a darker shade of the same hue ?

There is usually a gaily-striped tulip in the same group, perhaps also a polyanthus, and some forget-me-nots, but they are all of them very well-behaved little flowers, and " keep their places " with wonderful and quite unnatural regularity, as if each floweret and leaf had been carefully gummed or pinned into position. While as for hanging over the edge of the elegant vase in which they are placed ! — they are much too staid and stiff to be guilty of such an impropriety I

There is a great charm in these little souvenirs of a bygone age, with their memories, tender and sad, of those who have passed from our sight; but it is a charm of sentiment and association, of veneration for times of long ago. As studies of Nature they are only of value in a

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negative sense, just to show us what to a%'oid, so as not to produce anything so absolutely unreal.

I sometimes think that in those far-away days there must have been a sort of traditional method of painting flowers, both as regards form and colour, and that actual study from Nature herself took a secondary place.

Therefore let us put our old album tenderly and reverently away,

and tr\- to work on a distinctly different plan.

V I need not tell you our motto shall be absolute

fidelity to Nature, so far as our limited capacitx-

will allow, for whatever our talents, and however

we strive to reproduce the loveliness we sec,

our reproduction will be far enough behind the

original in beauty ! But at

least it is an honest effort,

and therefore more appealing

to a student of Nature than

the elaborate artificial " pretti-

ness " of the conventionalised

group.

However, our business to- daj' is to paint roses, not merely to talk of them, so, if jou have your nicely-washed palette and materials in readi- ness, let us start without further generalities : only \ou must not feel discouraged if I warn you that the task on which you have embarked is not an easy one ! Not only is the rose one of the most beautiful and fascinating of flower studies, but one of the most difficult as well.

We start, perhaps, a careful drawing of a half-opened bud, and even as we work its form is changing before our eyes, and the rose is opening her heart to the rays of light and warmth as they fall on her from the window. We must lose no time in sketching her in boldly before she alters too much, even if we have to finish the details from memory or another flower. When called away whilst painting roses (if only for a few minute.s) I always carefully cover them up from the light. .A cardboard box (if sufficientl\' large

70

IP;

Notice the slight

reflected light on

the shadow side

near the edge.

see if vou sjet the

to avoid crushing the flower or group) will answer the purpose admirably, and prove a very efficient screen. ' ,

I think, for a beginning, it would be well to make a study of the humble little wild rose of the hedgerow. There is plenty of scope for careful drawing in this flower without our having to contend with the difficulties of the multiplicity of petals possessed by her prouder sisters of the garden. Note the flimsy nature of the flower, and how delicate pink shades to creamy white ; also the lovely suspicion of pearly-grey in the modelling of the petals.

Use thin rose madder for the pinky parts, with a touch of aureolin to give warmth and transparency to the reflected lights, and a very delicate mixture of cobalt and rose madder, with just a suspicion of yellow ochre, for the pearly greys ; make a few dabs with your brush on a piece of white paper first, just ti mixture in right proportion.

And now perhaps we are more ambitious, and are longing to try our hands at those great fragrant belles of the rose garden. It is an education in rose drawing to go round and note the wonderful difference of form in well-known varieties. There is a Gloire de Dijon (or " Glory," as the gardener dubs it), cup-like and solid in form, with its petals curving back in fascinating little points ; here is the old-world " Maiden's blush," very flat when fully developed ; the " Niphetos," with its tulip-shaped petals and drooping habit, bending over so modestly that one has almost to kneel before it to see its lotus-like beauty ; " Catherine Mermet," " La France," " Malmaison," and a host of others, each with some special character of form. Suppose we take one of the tea-rose family for our study. I choose this especially because of its wonderful variety of colour, distinction of form, and also perhaps as a little bit of personal sentiment, as a group of these self-same flowers was the very first picture I ever exhibited and sold.

What a lovely contrast the creamy yellow of the petals, as they turn back in graceful curves, gives to their under sides of warm, salmon- like pink ! And I want you to notice most particularly the wonderful depths of transparent colour in the heart of the rose, absolutely different from the shadow side of the flower. I think this beautiful effect is caused by the rays of light filtering through the thin silky petals, reflecting on and intensifying the colour already there. We cannot keep this colour

71

too pure and trans- parent, and at the same time tooquiet and flat, so as to give the idea of depth. It must recede, as it were,

and this will help your petals, with their creamy curved edges, to stand out more boldly ; only don't make the latter too hard ; note their modelling, and their almost opalescent shading of tender grey as they curl over.

You will notice in flower painting of all kinds

what a study the texture and consistcncj' of flower

petals gives you ; the solid " fleshiness " of a camellia

t,^ jH or tuberose, for instance, is quite distinct from the

^W "IK velvety softness of a rose, and this again is quite

different from the flimsiness of an azalea or poppy.

Seek to notice individuality in different varieties of flowers ; to understand their characteristics will enable you to portray their beauties, not only with greater ease, but with more intelligence and truth to Nature. This is, as it were, the anatomy of the subject, and I used to think such analj-sis was dry and uninteresting in the extreme, that it was enough to try faithfully to reproduce the beauty before me, without bothering my head about drj-, structural details.

I am older and wiser, and I see farther now. Dry ! Why I Nature stud\- (even apart from its application to Art) is one of the greatest delights I know, however crude and unscientific our methods of approaching it may be. And I am absolutelj- certain that an intelligent knowledge of character ^ and habit is of immense help when we are struggling with a subject like a rose, whose beauty of form is so transient and evanescent that, even as we work, the opening petals are confusing us and totally altering from the outline of our drawing, for, without an intimate iniderstanding through practice and study, we arc quite unable to grasp the general characteristics of line and form.

Although far from wishing my readers to follow the " cabbage-like" form of the rose painting in the album, I would still wish to point out that there is always an underlj'ing spherical (or perhaps I should say, egg-shaped) form in a rose. The petals are wrapped round this, and, however they unfold and change in shape as the flower matures, this form is always there as a basis.

The wayside rose Blossomed in every

fragile crimson

change.

i:. //.twilton KiKg.

'H 03 ss>

If you have ever had ain- lessons in model

drawing and shading, you will have learnt that in

any object of globular, or approaching globular,

form (such as an apple, orange, etc.), the darkest

part does not extend to the extreme edge of the

shadow side any more than the bright light falls

on the edge of the light side. The rough sketch

of apples at the bottom of page 71 will illustrate my

meaning more clearly. There is a slight reflected

light on the shadow side near the edge, while on

the light side the extreme edge is receding from

us, owing to the spherical form of the object, and

therefore does not catch the light so strongly as the

point nearest us. All this must be remembered

in shading a rose.

Half close your eyes to see your flower (or

flowers) in broad masses of light and shade. I

think I advised this in our talk on violet painting

in the first chapter of this book, but please excuse

me if I am rather insistent on it, for it is really

a wonderful help !

If our Editor will allow me space for a digression,

I must tell \-ou a funny little anecdote apropos of

this practice of mine. My mother, re-arranging

the walls of a room after re-decoration, with the

aid of a youthful maid newly imported from the

West Countree, asked the girl (from her elevated

position on the high steps) if a picture she had just

restored to its hook was hanging straight. The

damsel hurried to the other side of the room,

and stood gazing, head on one side, with such

violent contortions of countenance that my mother, somewhat

alarmed for the girl's sanity, asked, " Whatever is the matter with

you, Alice?" "Oh! please, ma'am," was the reply, "I was only

looking at it artistic, like Miss Maude ! "

Whether this startling per- formance was a help to her to discover the exact equilibrium of the water-colour, and whether I look quite so comical when at my work, I don't know ; but of this I am sure, we can judge a general effect in broad masses through our half-closed lids far better than when,

'J^

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73

Pai-i-iiiLfi'c)

with wide-open eyes, perplexed with complications of detail, we sir too vtticli.

What we must aim at in picture making is to reproduce not so much what is actually before us, as what we see of it, what strikes us as a first impression. If you are looking at a bunch of flowers, or still-life group of any kind, your eye is sure to be arrested at once by some prominent feature in it, probably where the light catches it most strongly, and although the rest of the group is there, and you are conscious of its presence, it is in a measure subordinated and subdued.

Our power of vision docs not allow us in the same moment to see everything before us with the same distinction ; therefore, in picture making, it is a golden rule to determine our principal point of interest and concentration from the first, although, of course, this must not be made too obvious and forced.

Above all, in painting roses (or indeed any other flowers) keep your colours clean and pure. It is so easy to lose the delicacy and purity that are the most beautiful attributes of these, God's gifts. Look at this so- called white rose : hold it against something white, say a tablecloth or piece of white paper, and you will be astonished to find it is simply teeming with colour, a colour quite different from the hard bluish-white of the background, and so delicate and transparent, so elusive and soft, that we are almost in despair at the dinginess and smudginess of our humble effort at reproduction.

I should advise a darker (but not too dark) background for this subject, so as to throw the delicacy of the flower into better relief by way of contrast.

Educate your eyes to see not only form and colour, but tone values as well. Compare one object with another, and note their relations in tone, colour, and form. Although you cannot be making studies with brush and pencil all day, you arc carrying your eyes and brain about with you all the time. Train them to take mental notes of what you see around you, and train your memory to retain these notes : notice comparative sizes of objects, colour, forms and shapes, atmo- sphere, light and shade, and all the wonders around even the most commonplace everyday life. There is an infinite fund of material for \-ou wherever you go, whether your footsteps lead j'ou by mountain or moorland heath, open common or shady glade, by river or the wide .seashore, or even in the squalor and gloom of a manufacturing town.

Just store up these impressions in your memory, adding daily to the wealth