AGAVE VICTORIA REGINAE..Watercolor & Ink

AGAVE VICTORIA REGINAE..Watercolor & Ink
Originally uploaded by Louise001

AGAVE VICTORIA REGINAE..Watercolor & Ink

I painted this as a tribute to my Dad who instilled in me his love of flowers, plants and nature.
Today is his Birthday. He died in 1972 at the age of 56. Way too young...of cancer. He never smoked in his life by the way.
He was a brilliant man.
I also must give tribute to my Mother who was a wonderful artist, and I used to watch her draw and paint and it was like magic to me. She one day laid aside her paints when I was 7 or 8 years old and never painted again. Probably even her own grandchildren do not know this except for my children.
Through the years I would ask her why, and she never had an answer, and would shrug her shoulders.
When she retired I tried to encourage her to take up art again, but she had lost all interest.
My dad could be a very critical person...a perfectionistic Virgo. I think he may have been critical of Mom's art and she was too sensitive to handle it. I plan to call her today...she is 92, and see if she can remember why she quit painting. I always call her on her and Dads Birthdays.
I vowed never to let that happen to me and I dabbled in it over my career and family years, and as soon as I retired I took Art up seriously again.
Sensitivity to criticism is one reason why I do not believe in ''grading'' art in school, and I also do not enter competitions.
I write this to encourage anyone who might have put down their pencils and brushes because someone said something negative about what they had done. Never let that stop you and never be discouraged....and this applies to EVERYTHING IN LIFE! It is never too late!
If you like what you are doing it is a FINE PIECE OF WORK....!!!!! And if you don't like it, you are probably being TOO HARD ON YOURSELF!!!
That is why, now, today, in my life I can allow myself to post and share everything whether it pleases me or not, because I know I am usually too hard on myself, too much like my dad...:)
And by the way....I REALLY LIKE THIS ONE!!!!...:)