new beginnings...

This photo is from a hollyhock garden near me- these grow at a house on a main road leading into our little village here. I have to force myself to concentrate on the road when I pass by these beauties! On a previous blog I talked about getting some of my own and how I was excitedly waiting for mine to bloom. They've bloomed.......and they're the double pink, not the single blossoms shown here. The quest continues!! If anyone knows where I can get some seeds to grow ones of my own, please let me know!
It's a fun time for me now- outdoor shows over, summer winding down. I have a wealth of reference material to paint from. I'll be starting a new motorcycle painting soon. The time and concentration involved is enormous. I think I'll work on some flower paintings simultaneously. It's often recommended to not work on one painting at a time, especially when they're heavily detailed. Maybe I should title the hollyhock in the photo "Beauty and the Beast" since there's a Japanese Beetle on the flower. I hate those things! But boy, do they love my roses!