So Christmas 2020 was a very quiet experience as we were already in lockdown mode in Buckinghamshire, and so we weren't able to join others of our lovely family for the customary feasting, which was extremely disappointing . However, a lovely camellia " yuletide" had obligingly burst into flower and I boldly chopped off a substantial stem, since it was sub-zero and far too cold to draw or paint outside in the garden.
Having berated myself for chopping off the branch, with dozens of live buds sacrificed; almost overnight one of the local roe deer came and chomped quite 90% of the remaining fat buds/leaves/stems overnight , despite it being in a tub on the patio only a metre from the back door.
Besides the obvious seasonal relevance I chose this plant as I had been studying the new "Leaves" tutorial by Dianne Sutherland and I had therefore been practising drawing leaves in perspective in my sketchbook and this being a leafy specimen I thought it would be useful practice in my measuring and foreshortening and twists and turns.
Actually I drew the specimen that I saw before me, and had I followed the correct process of submitting the composition to Dianne for critique before painting, she would have been able to advise me that to increase the curve of the main stem and somewhat reduce the number of my leaves would have resulted in very much more elegant composition . As it was I jumped in impulsively and instead will have to learn that lesson for my next project !
Notwithstanding there was at least the benefit that I had committed paint to paper before all the camellia was quite gobbled up for Christmas, so maybe it wasn't a complete disaster ....
