Tulipa China Pink - Mail Art Postcard

After a cold February, the second week of March has treated us to some beautiful days with above average temperatures.  I took advantage of the warm weather to clean some leaves off the flower beds and discovered that our daffodils, hyacinths and tulips (my favorite) have emerged!  Spring is not far away now.

I decided that even though tulips are more associated with May around here, I just had to use them as my theme this month.  I pulled out a coffee table book of tulip photography that I've had for years and chose a pair of China Pink tulips as my subjects.  I lightly sketched them in pencil on a 5x7 postcard, then colored them with Derwent watercolor pencils using a Niji water brush.  The black accents were added with a fine point Sharpie.

On the address side, I wrote one stanza of a poem about tulips.  Gotta love a poem that uses the words brazen and hussies to describe a flower!  The complete poem is reproduced below for your pleasure.

I hope there are signs of spring in your neighborhood this week.  Enjoy!

Supplies:
Strathmore 140 lb hot press watercolor paper; Derwent watercolor pencils; black Sharpie pen; bee stamp by Inkadinkado; Ranger Archival black ink; Krylon silver leaf pen; Tim Holtz alphabet stencil.

Spring Flowers - Tulips

~ Mary Havran

Tulips shyly smiling, greet the spring
Tightly closed when at
First we meet
Tulips slowly opening, begin to sing
Gaining volume
Ever sweet

No longer shy, as days grow longer,
Raising their heads
They begin to flirt
Tulips dressed in many a color
Breezes swirling
Each floral skirt

Tulips, brazen painted hussies,
Part their bright lips trying to seduce
The busy buzzing bees
Far too bold for dainty tussies
Vibrant tulip flowers produce
Visions certain to please.