Hollyhocks and My Bucket Babies

Pink Hollyhocks

8x8 Oil on Canvas

by

Cheri Wollenberg

Hollyhocks are an old fashioned flower.  Every time my husband and I take a trip to New Mexico I have a desire to have them all over our farm landscape.  This year I planted some from seed in seeding beds.  My sister (who is a wonderful gardener) said that sometimes they are very hard to transplant to the garden from the seedlings, but I think mine are going to make it.  Oklahoma, especially where we live, has such extremes...high wind one day, lots of rain, no rain, very humid, very dry....on and on.  Anyway, I have protected those babies in buckets with the bottoms cut out......until they are very established they will stay in their little "bucket home".  All this to say that I love them.  I love flowers period and I have such a desire to paint every kind of flower.  I have some digital images I took of hollyhocks at our home in Arkansas filed away in my computer.  I took a look at them yesterday.  This one spoke to me and I painted a small 8x8 painting late yesterday and last night.  I am practicing for when my "bucket babies" are grown and I can paint them live.  Until then painting from a picture will satisfy me.  I have this painting for sale in my Etsy shop.  You are welcome to visit there.

Blue Hydrangea in Fruit Jar

Blue Hydrangea in Fruit Jar

12x12 Oil on Canvas

by

Cheri wollenberg

One of the great things about being an artist is getting to know more about flowers.  I have to admit there is so much "science" in raising beautiful flowers that I am sometimes overwhelmed when I put my "gardener's hat" on.  I have this crazy desire to raise my own flowers for floral paintings.  I have a lot of wonderful friends who have shared starts and seedlings of plants and flowers with me, and I am successful occasionally in following through with the discipline in caring for these prized gifts!  Hydrangea is one type of flower that I have become interested in during the last several years.  I found out that soil is usually what dictates the color of these gorgeous florals.  I have to admit that painting them is still my favorite thing even though it is absolutely delightful to cut some live flowers for a bouquet from my own flower beds.  There is defintely a connection in arts and sciences!