The final (for now) rhodo and a scruffy cat

Dear Sarah - Day 126 of our daily drawing exchange

May 6, 2025
Hi Nikki,

I think I'm done with drawing rhodos, unless I decide to draw one again in ink and then use my watercolour brush pens to add colour. Or just draw them with the pens and add water. The odd thing about this exercise is that I don't really like rhodos when all the buds have opened, but I find the detail in a single bloom quite amazing.I appreciate the massive hits of colour they provide in Spring, and I'd love to see them in their native habitat--maybe you'll see some in Nepal--but when they are in full bloom, I'm not a huge fan. Heresy, I know. Give me a tree peony any day. Or a regular peony. I've attached the drawing, a colour plan, and the photo.

I hope you had a great day with Dani today. So hard to say goodbye, I'm sure.

I'm working through "Rose in the hospital" trying to make it somewhat interesting (and get the medical stuff right). Our search histories would make interesting reading!

XO S

Hi Sarah -

Dani is just boarding her plan now. Her trip zipped past in a flash - and, yes - it was sad to say farewell so soon.

Because I got back to the hotel quite late, I thought I’d draw a plane… I tried several times and gave up. Not sure what the heck went terribly wrong, but it went terribly wrong. So, then I decided to follow a YouTube tutorial about drawing cats but that also went terribly wrong somewhere along the line and the only remotely salvageable bit was the head.

I’m too tired to attempt a third subject, so the body-less cat will have to suffice.

Tomorrow will try to sleep in a little and then head back to the mountains. It will be good to be back home but very strange Dani and I wound up spending so little time in Canmore on this trip.

With one thing and another we were only there for one night of the handful she was here.

I really like your rhodo series. They are imposing blooms, that’s for sure - I quite like the way pencil tames them a bit.

Talk soon -

Nikki