Plantago lanceolata, a common weed found on cultivated or disturbed land.

 

I love May; a profusion of little cone heads, balanced delicately on top of thin, wiry stems, appears on grasslands and verges. Attached by the most delicate of threads arching outwards, their light as air seed heads hover in expectation. I see them and instantly I want to paint. In that moment, my assessment of its potential is immediate.

 

My attraction to such an overlooked plant is its architecture, considerably complex for such a dainty plant. Its essence contains a contrast between delicacy and strength. I contemplate how my watercolour would perform; there’s opportunity for those little bits of watercolour magic to happen, and although acknowledged as a troublesome weed, to me it provides challenge; and to the goldfinches, food throughout the winter. 

 

I refuse to walk past, perhaps trample underfoot, and pay no more than a cursory glance. Visually stimulating, there’s so much to consider: the delicacy of the seed head contrasted with the spear-shaped leaf, the complex arrangement of bracts, with their subtle shifts in colour at different moments in its life cycle, enhanced by the natural play of directional light. I am captivated; this has so much to offer. 

 

I consider the viewer; I want to reveal the dynamics of this unexpected beauty, to encourage time spent in a closer look, so it can be observed in a different way, a treasure of nature elevated, a moment in time no longer taken for granted …….a painting