CHILDHOOD MEMORIES OF HOLLYHOCKS

Day 4
of

3 0   P A I N T I N G S   I N   3 0   D A Y S!

Who doesn't love hollyhocks?  I have wonderful memories of hollyhocks in my mother's and grandmother's gardens.  My mom had a beautiful stand of them at the back of the yard.  My grandmother not only grew them, but also taught me how to make "hollyhock dolls".  I remember making these dolls while sitting on her front steps, then lining them up so I could admire them.

Now,  I continue to admire these old fashioned garden beauties by painting them.  This is a painting of the perennial hollyhock, Mars Magic.  With the deckled edges, this painting can be easily mounted on top of your mat board and placed in a pre-made standard frame.

About halfway done -

Some close-ups.

And the whole painting - 10.5 by 10.5 inches on heavy 300# Arches cotton fiber paper.

"Memories of Hollyhocks" is available here:

And for a little fun with your kids or grandchildren- 

Click the picture below to learn how make these old fashioned dolls:

also . . . 

here's a portion of the poem

H O L L Y H O C K S

by American poet Edgar A. Guest

 . . . My mother loved them years ago; 

Beside the fence they used to grow,

 And though the garden changed each year 

And certain blooms would disappear 

To give their places in the ground 

To something new that mother found, 

Some pretty bloom or rosebush rare— 

 The hollyhocks were always there.

Thanks for looking!

-Nan