June 16, 2025

Foxes Gloves

It’s a cold, wet and windy day in February and I am sat in the studio looking for inspiration.

My eyes fall on a painting that I started last Summer.

I like how it is so far and have been reluctant to work on it ‘in case I spoil it.’

I have learnt from experience that the way to get going, is to ‘get going,’ so I do just that. Once I let go of the hesitancy, I start to enjoy myself and get lost in the process. Paintings, especially the ’layered kind,’ can take time. It’s okay to have unfinished work waiting for the next stage. You never know when one will grab your attention and carry you along for a while.

The idea for this canvas began last June as I sat on the sofa, sketchbook and pen in hand. I have a lovely view of the bird feeders from there and can watch the frenzied activity of the little birds. The finches perch on the swinging cages while the pigeons and blackbirds forage underneath. Through the railings on our balcony, I could see tall swaying foxgloves and a mist of lavender. I was inspired.

It wasn’t long before I was at my easel, enjoying marks and patterns in glorious foxglove colours. I had every intention of carrying the ‘work in progress’ into the real foxgloves for a photo but we got interrupted.

An unexpected phone call threw us into a family crisis, beginning an unsettled period of time which we are still navigating.

It’s June, the painting is finished and I have named it in honour of my grand-daughter who seeing foxgloves for the first time, thought they were foxes’ gloves.

Hoping for Better things

This canvas took a year from start to finish. It’s bright colours and cheerful birds remind me that whatever life throws at you, there’s always a reason to hope for better things to come.

What unfinished projects can you revisit? What creative work is waiting for just this moment, something to help you navigate the ups and downs of life?