The approach to September

September is looming and as I have explained before, it is one of my favourite times of year, a chance to begin new things and start a new page. I realise of course that this is entirely possible at any time, but the school year has made an indelible mark on me, and I am left unable to think any other way!

I've sat quietly for a while this afternoon doing some watercolour painting, just adding a little more to this illustration I started a couple of weeks ago. I don't think I would ever have the patience to be a botanical painter, but I do enjoy the patterns in flowers and these dahlias do not disappoint.

Painting something like this, gives a little time to ponder things and that is something that I am finding more time to do recently. Not working has taken pressure off my time, and things that I often thought, I really don't have the time for that, I am far less penny pinching over. I can think of a few occasions where I have begrudged the time that something takes and realised that my priorities are wrong.

Some of the watercolour painting I did last week, I have used to design an autumn card, there is another on the way too.

We  now have a new addition to the family, which has meant some lovely twilight walks. I am seeing things from a new perspective at a new time, and mainly because I am being forced (for all the right reasons) to do things differently, I am appreciating unknown views and scenery.

And finally the new addition, Charlie, who it turns out is also interested in our pollinators, however, I think his motives may be different from mine.