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 



