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The Artist’s
Almanac
March 2005
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...daffodils,
That come before the swallow dares, and take
The winds of March with beauty
-Shakespeare
They are so common we
take them for granted, these little fellows. Yet their gold trumpets
herald spring’s parade, and a thick field of them, as at the old
Comer mansion, is an awesome sight in March.
Once planted they
require no care or feeding, and nothing feeds on them. Only close
regular mowing will starve them or a rank thatch of weeds smother
them. A half-tended yard at an old farmhouse will bloom for a
century or more after a long-forgotten farm wife plants beauty there
to cheer her rough life.
We welcome the first
fistful from a granddaughter. Later comes the gaudy forsythia, but
by then, having enough of yellow, we collect the elegant japonica,
with its oriental branches and vermilion splendor. Spectacular
tulips follow and the roses get their first pruning.
Spring lasts but a
couple of weeks here - a month at most. In a whirlwind courtship,
she teases us with a glimpse of color and a bit of perfume. Then,
before we know it, wool becomes intolerable and we are into our
cottons. Sweat salts our eyes and we are hoeing, mowing and ruing
too much sowing.
Uncle Alf once told me
the proverb was backwards - March comes in like a lamb and goes out
like a lion. He was often contrary and of strong opinion, yet such
is often the case, with warmth and early blooms at the beginning and
a wet blanket of snow at the end.
A blanket of snow
doesn’t bother daffodils, but a late frost will doom this year’s
fruit crop. Pear, cherry, and even apples – warmed into exuberance
by fickle spring mourn their losses with blackened blooms.
Daffodils challenge
the artist. They stand stiffly in a vase and are stubborn models,
rearranging themselves the moment the painter’s back is turned, like
the gawky adolescents they are.
I prefer them where
they grow, in a wildflower garden not yet gloomed in green, backlit
by the low rays of a spring afternoon, pure yellow light against
dark green cedars and the umber of winter woods. They give us the
good news - despite the worst that winter can do, the sun has won
once more.
Visit our website later, for a number of new watercolors,
And our booth at The Gallatin Junior Service League’s
Art In Bloom
Saturday, March 5, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Maple Center, 393 Maple Street, Gallatin (across from Post Office)
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