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. 





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