….inspired by Manet's flower paintings, who in his dying days was greeted by artist friends bearing floral gifts. What did he do in those last days?....Painted the flowers, of course. Gloomy, maybe. Flower bouquets make very suitable subjects: flowers don't get tired, only thirsty, do not move or require a break, flower varieties are endless, and the bouquets are always a challenge to draw and paint from life.

....I am rediscovering the art of drawing and painting from life-observation only-no cameras. I relied heavily on the crutch of photography for a while. Now, I use a home-made plumb line (2 washers and a string), a bamboo skewer (unused of course) and a few rulers (because I love straight lines). I have the pride of creating artwork made by my eyes, hands and head without the translation of a camera lens or sensor. I guess I just needed to prove to myself that the skills I worked to achieve  during my University days were not lost to the past.