Hollyhocks

Hollyhocks, oil on board, 8" x 6"

These hollyhocks grow wild at the top of our driveway with enough confidence to take over the neighborhood. We've been here 20 years and we don't know where they came from but I love their chutzpah. I put them in an aluminum vase that has the same finish as the big milk containers on my grandparents' dairy farm (which is now Distillery Lane Ciderworks, by the way). This was painted plein air.

It's been months since the last post. I had to take a break to spend as much time as possible with my mother as she fought and lost a battle with breast cancer, after being in remission for 35 years. This was the first successful painting since we lost her, so this painting is for you, Mom.