Nature Sketching: Chrysanthemums Look Rumpled After the Rain
By Anna Krejci
A fresh rain penetrated the soil and left droplets on the
chrysanthemums I planted. Normally the area where they are situated is under
strong sun, but since gray storm clouds were lingering, they and I had relief
in the cool air.
I inspected the plants. Some petals were under strain. I
could see that they curled around the edges; some were starting to turn brown.
Would the rain shower help them to recover, I wondered. I hoped so. My purple
mum showed signs of resilience the other day after I watered it. After
drooping, the buds were upright again.
It had been quite a long time since I sketched anything in
nature, so I set about sketching the purple mum. The fall rain shower left the
petals in a disheveled appearance, but that was a little sweet and interesting
at the same time. I wondered how the plant made up its mind, so to speak, as to
how to position its petals while undergoing a shower. The mums’ petals fell
back into even layers after a while with no help of any kind.
On this photograph, I based the sketch of the three blooms. The purple mum is newly planted.
Would I have noticed the haphazardness of it all had it not
been for sketching these delicate buds after the storm blew past? Probably not.
My sketching allowed me to be attentive to more features of the plant. I
noticed the disk flower in the middle and the ray florets which look like
petals that surround it. I also noticed that I had an orange-red mum whose disk
flowers were hidden. That plant stood in contrast to the one I sketched.
When one gets thick into the weeds, it is easy to become
overwhelmed by the variety of plants that exist. My newest mum resembles
daisies. Mums are a diverse group in appearance. The diversity is good, though.
Some time I must try sketching a variety of them and add new works to my
collection.
