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Mizzling after the myriad

I’m not even sure it’s a word, well, I know it IS  a word in that it’s got letters – with vowels and everything! But, I don’t know if it’s a proper-in-the-dictionary word. I could look it up, but it doesn’t matter that much – cos its a word I use, and have used over many years to describe the weather as its been for the last couple of days……when you wake up and open the curtains, bleary eyed, to let the daylight in, and do a double take “Whathfuck….? Whose stolen the world?” as you look out into the grey mists and everything that is normally clearcut and crisp is lost in the veil of gauze that covers it. It’s always fascinating for me to see the world slightly differently than normal because of the weather, like when there’s a  snowblizzard outside, or fog, or mist  or like this stuff when its raining as well in the mist – hence mizzle.

I love the light at this time of year, that yellowy touch of golden light that bathes everything. Even the sky seems to have a warmer tinge to it than normal, and there was a beautiful pinky sunset the other night that was stunningly atmospheric.

But, I’m not here to talk about the weather, not really. Only how it affects me as an artist. I’d been to a workshop on Saturday and thoroughly enjoyed the day.. I always do. And it showed how good the artist was who took the class since he actually did it in the style that I hate (yeh, hate!) – the step-by-step sort where he paints a bit, we copy it, then he paints the next stage, and we copy it, and so on til the end and we all go home with exactly the same painting, all looking just the same. Normally that sort of class drives me to absolute toe tapping eye-rolling, tongue clicking distraction as I get twitchy waiting for the next stage, whilst the slower ones catch up, but this chap filled in the gaps with humour and wit, and excellent tips that kept me enthralled. Like how to use kitchen roll to make misty effects by gently wiping over the wet watercolour paint, and using a rigger paint brush to make straight lines of colour in the paint.  But it was certainly the comedy that made the day more interesting too, and he was a natural comedian, who can say anything and its funny. I didn’t see much of him during the day, he seemed to be with others who were less able as artists most of the time, so it was only at the end when I congratulated him on keeping me interested all day, and explained why. I know its difficult for anyone doing a workshop since they don’t know the standard of the other people they’re teaching. Are they capable of holding a paint brush? Do they know how to mix green?Are they going to look blankly at me when I mention lost and found edges?  So it was good to have a proper chat with him afterwards and compare notes as two professional artists. And there were certainly some things he said that have got me thinking about other ways of earning some money through art… definitely food for thought.

But, it was on the way home that I was brought up in my tracks.

As I carried my art equipment back from the car to the house, unloading the car, and with my mind elsewhere, that I stopped in surprise and looked at something that I look at daily. Something that had transformed to a thing of beauty since I last noticed it. And probably in its natural colouring I don’t give it a first look, let alone a second. But this time, it brought a smile to my face, and an urge to do something about it. Get the camera! As I dropped easel, paper, board and art bag in the utility room, and grabbed the camera as I turned on my heel.

And took photos of the glorious sight infront of me. Every hue of every colour you could think of, reds and oranges, yellows and greens, purples and pinks, all there. Knowing that the colours and shapes would make the most amazing abstract painting, and yet it was the simplist of subjects. A rose by any other name. A rose that hasn’t managed to flower since I planted it eighteen months ago, but that didn’t matter, it was here, now, today, in its coat of many colours, and I HAD to take a photo of it, just had to.

Its the artist in me. Being called to by something more primal than mere autumnal inspiration. It was the colour of nature, and in that moment, it was mine.

8 thoughts on “Mizzling after the myriad”

  1. Dear Jackie,
    No rose can hold a candle to rosa “Glauca”at this time of the
    year.It is a species that relies on it’s foliage although it’s small red hips
    which turn deep purple in autumn are very attractive.When it gets bigger
    prune it down to 3 feet to encourage new growth which produces the
    vivid colours.With your artists eye you will appreciate it.
    As a talented erotic artist you might consider growing rosa
    “Sericea Pteracantha”which is grown for it’s amazing thorns.When young
    they are translucent red,not long very wide at the branch and appear as
    though a red vine is climbing up the rose especially if the sun is behind.
    I call it the “parliament” rose on account of the number of big
    pricks it contains.
    Stuart

    1. Stuart – Of course, you’d recognise it, you being a rose expert. I’m vastly impressed that you know it just from its leaves in Autumn! It hasn’t managed to flower yet, but when it gets to the three feet mark I’ll prune it as you advise, thanks for the suggestion.

      You made me laugh re the parliment rose!!!! Thankyou as always for your humourous comments, they brighten my day! 🙂

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