It was John Ruskin who said that however closely we look, we can never see all there is to see. Even with a microscope there will be more. So we have to make do with approximations. My drawings of Queen Anne’s lace were hardly accurate(it likes to wave in the breeze for a start), but the vase I decorated from these drawings looks reasonably convincing. Recognisable at least. And there are always chances to try again.
Now is the season for Queen Anne’s Lace, Cow Parsley does not do it justice, which delights me every year and seems impossible to draw. Dark pencil or black pen on white paper seems the wrong way to record those tiny pale petals and intricate centres. Yet there is method in this seeming chaos if we give enough time to see. Pale lustre on a dark ground seems more appropriate, and today we have packed the kiln with one or two attempts to capture this delicate wayside gift. We shall see on Friday how successful my efforts have been.