•Wild, i^a-inji'a 



ntinospJicre in which the subjects of our studies were born ; and who 

 could help being more imbued with a sense of beaut)- under such 

 conditions than within the limits of four brick walls? 



Without wishing to be discouraging, however, I think you will find 

 the difficulties of light and shade tremendous!}- increased when worlcing 

 out-of-doors. The side-light from our sitting-room window, where our 

 studies have previously been made, in a measure focused the light from 

 one particular point on our group, though even there the effect was 

 variable, owing to atmospheric conditions. But out-of-doors the light 

 is for ever changing, and instead of the side-light that gave us the 

 definite shadow so helpful in enabling us to grasp a strong effect, we 

 have a bright soft light so diffused and so transient that the effect may 

 be totally different before we are half-way through the simplest sketch. 



Suppose, for example, when the sky was overcast b}- a passing cloud, 

 we had commenced a study of those lovely sturdy ox-eye daisies, which 

 so utterly eclipse in beauty their pampered greenhouse cousins. You 

 probably sketched in your flowers, and began to shade in your delicate 

 greys and shadows, and the cool green grass amongst which the\- grow, 

 when — -Hey ! presto I a sunbeam ! and all is changed. The white 

 petals of the flower stand out like a halo round the yellow centre as 

 the sun glints through, and the cool grey-green grass and leaves are 

 grey-green no longer, but almost golden in their brilliancy and warmth. 

 We cannot alter our first sketch to suit the wonderful change the sun- 

 shine has wrought ; we must make another under the new conditions. 

 Sometimes we are almost in despair at what we consider an alarming 

 waste of nice white paper ; but with each attempt, poor and crude as we 

 may deem it, we have Icarut something, received a new- impression 

 photographed on our minds, and made one step further on the long road 

 of our ambition. 



Don't destroy these little attempts ; date them carefully and store 

 them by, and you will be astonished and interested, when the same 

 flowers come round in their seasons again, to see the progress you have 

 made, simply by perseverance and determination to conquer the 

 difficulties that lie in your path. You still may feel a long way from 

 the goal of your ambition, for I know of no study that has a more 

 humbling effect on our estimate of our own powers than the study of 

 Nature. But each step of the way has opened up new beauties and 

 delights ; and wrestling bravely with our difficulties has been a most 

 wholesome exercise for us in every way. 



To those of you who have the great advantage of a home in the 

 countr}-, I would say, seize every opportunity, if you would succeed in 

 flower painting, to draw, draw, draw all you see before you. 



Suppose, if your time is your own, you made a practice of getting 

 some new specimen of natural beaut)- on your daily walks. I believe 

 you would find something of fresh interest every day, even in " Barren 





The FoxjSlovc on 

 fair Flora's 

 hand is worn. 



Lest while she 

 fathers flowers 



55 



