Peonies And Pears

30"x36" oil on stretched canvas

I'll be re-photographing this one under better light tomorrow, or as soon as the rain stops! The color isn't quite true on this shot.  For more information about this painting, visit this link or- contact me here.

It's been interesting watching things in my garden this year. First every thing is about two weeks early, that's okay by me. I anxiously await these white peonies each year as they have the most wonderful fragrance! If I could bottle it, I would bathe in it!

Well, just last Wednessday, they were all open and standing up straight and tall as I painted this scene on a gray cloudy day:

yep, that's them to the left of the bench, right where you can sit and bask in the fragrance!  The very next day, they were plopped over on the ground, their heads so heavy, they just couldn't hold them up any longer!

So....I cut them while they still looked good and fresh, and put them in large jugs and vases! Initially they were holding up really well, but I couldn't start this painting until Saturday evening.  Continued it on Sunday, and finally finished this afternoon, just in the nick of time!  The blossoms are dropping their petals, in big plops of petals whole blossoms at a time! It's hard to believe they go by in such a short time.