Remember my weekend promise to ’embrace imperfection’ ? ….. well, keeping that in mind, I found myself scrambling to muster a hostess gift for a last minute dinner invite yesterday evening.
It’s a full week here, and somehow my cupboards were not flowing over with potential presents. Of course I knew that in this season my garden is practically a flower free zone , except …. except for those lovely hellebore. So faithful and perfect and undemanding.
I used to worry about painting with watercolours. Now I don’t think it matters if the result isn’t perfect. I find it’s a good idea to run a damp paintbrush across the paper before starting, then work gently building up the colour as your confidence grows. Last year I gave some ideas for painting simple images of flowers for seed packets gifts.
These two little pictures were done on the kitchen table in less than ten minutes. It either works or it doesn’t … and if it doesn’t, it’s not serious …. just try again another day
46 comments
Simple and lovely. A wonderful idea.
Oh Sharon, it's perfectly perfect and so thoughtful!
What a lovely gift! What a lucky hostess to be the recipient of such loveliness.
What a marvellous idea…very refined and beautiful…kiss
ah, such the lucky hostess….your painting as welcome as those hellebore blooms are in the winter. Beautiful
what a lovely hostess gift. it's beautiful!
Just lovely! I can always count on your blog for inspiring beauty. Our hellebores are not ready to bloom at all, they are still asleep here in northeast Ohio.
Oh it works! Flora is one of the most generous gifts a guest could bring…in ANY form…but your paintings take the cake!
Every hostess can deem herself very lucky indeed to have had you as a guest! This ´Merci´ is gorgeous!!!
Regards
Christel
This is lovely. ♥
Simply perfect!
enJOY a lovely today,
Kimberly
The hellebores are so pretty and you are incredibly talented. How could a hostess not cherish such a beautiful gift.
Perfection! What a lovely and unique gift.
Emily
Very, very nice indeed.
GORGEOUS little watercolor gift..I love simple art like that, I'm certain that the hostess was very happy to receive such a lovely gift. Have a great day !
Such a beautiful gift, Sharon… your energy, creativity and time knows no bounds… xv
This is a gift anyone would enjoy. Just lovely.
Very, very lovely … Like it so much.
Regards, Heidrun
Oh to have the talent as you do – you make it seem so simple. You h ave no idea. No WAY could I ever paint anything recognizable.
I LOVE your sweet hostess gift – I would cherish it so much, it is from yourself – and nothing you could ever buy could ever begin to match it's splendor.
Well done, indeed!
Totally, completely awesome !!!
This is so lovely in its simplicity. Did she oooh and awww?
What a delightful and thoughtful gift. You do make the watercolors look awfully easy. Anyone can pop into a shop and purchase something, but you took the time to craft something personal. In our time-stressed culture, such effort (even if it only took ten minutes, as you say) gives great significance to the gift. What a lucky friend she is.
Now that I pause for a moment, I realize you've inspired me. How much more gentle would our communities be if everyone took ten minutes to do something personal for a friend? I have a friend who's having a difficult time right now, with much illness in her family. I don't have lots of spare cash or time, but one thing I do have is hellebores, and a few little vases I painted one day last summer in a fit of crafty-ness. Indeed it doesn't seem like much from the giver's perspective, but having been the recipient of simple gestures, I know how grand they can be. Thanks for motivating me to pass it on.
What a wonderful gift and more special because you found it, grew it and painted it all at once! Lucky you that your hellebore is out already – ours is still under 4 inches of snow. I can't wait to see their little heads nodding goodmorning to me! XOX, Cynthia
A gift from the heart is a beautiful thing. The watercolor and flowers are simply perfect and wonderful gifts to give. My mother used to paint for pleasure. Her favorite medium was watercolor. I have some of her watercolors hanging in my house. They are priceless to me.
xx Amelia
… ho visto il tuo blog per caso e devo farti i miei complimenti, sfogliando i post sono rimasta incantata dai tuoi progetti tutti bellissimi…..se ti va passa da me mi farà piacere….kiss!Elisa
Beautiful watercolor, and flowers! What a lovely gift. Thank you for sharing.
How clever you are Sharon, not only to have been imaginative enough to come up with such a charming gift idea, but to make it so personalised with the handpainted card. If that delightful little watercolour is 'imperfection' then I'd say bring on more of it! It's gorgeous.
I've been on holiday at our cottage in New Zealand for a couple of months, sans internet, so I haven't been visiting for a while. Now that I'm back home I'm looking forward to having a scroll through and seeing what I've been missing…
Sharon, I'd be thrilled with a thank you gift such as this. Perfection in my eyes!
Absolutely beautiful Sharon! You paint very well, I'm impressed. How lucky for your friend to receive such a beautiful gift! XO
Charming, practical, thoughtful and meaningful. What hostess would not appreciate such a present. Have you ever tried painting Merci onto the silver cup? It would be most pleasing, n'est-ce pas?
With fortitude,
Sylvia Faye
Such a great idea! Sharon, this is so sweet, practical, and elegant. I'm sure she loved it:)
leslie
Hi Sharon!!!
I love this idea!!!!!
Anybody can have a store bought item, but, your friend has a one and only water color made by you. Not only that you gave her a beautiful flower holder, holding the flower you painted for her. How great is that?!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have a great weekend!!
Pam
xox
Bonjour Sharon,
Alors tu essayes l'aquarelle ? C'est pas si mal surtout fait en 10 mn ! Tes hellébores sont lumineuses. En tout cas 'est une belle idée de cadeau, bravo !
Bises,
Céline.
Perfection in every way!!!
xoxo, Chris
Çok güzeller.
Beautiful! I think it's so difficult to paint with water colors…
Just beautiful Sharon. I would have been thrilled as your hostess to receive such a thoughtful, lovely present!
Sophia
Sharon, è meraviglioso quello che hai fatto.
Bravissima.
Luisa
I love the watercolors! I was wondering if perhaps you might explain (with pictures) a simple step-by-step process in one of your blogs. You are so talented! (I'm painting with watercolors presently and find it difficult to 'loosen up' and not paint in such agonizing detail!)
What a lovely idea and the hostess will truly treasure the personal gift. Your post has me yearning for spring.
I love when you paint, the Hellebore are so pretty. Merci
Such a beautiful gift with such heartfelt goodness in it. Have a wonderful weekend. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com
I love your watercolor!!!
Have a nice weekend!
Sharon
I love the watercolors and the flowers. Beautiful presentation for a gift.
I also like the photo of your house on the blog. Your garden looks so pretty.
Debbie
Ah Sharon..I would travel to France, throw a party in your honour and look forward to receiving such a beautiful bouquet and painting…so very thoughtful. Loving the party idea… xx
Endearing!! I love watercolour because it is so forgiving and allows beauty in imperfection – it all 'comes out in the wash'!!pun totally intended 🙂