Before moving to our current home, we lived next door to a couple that had a beautiful flower garden. Most summer mornings, as I was making my first coffee, I would hear the spray from a garden hose hitting the flowers. Lovell was watering the garden before the heat of the day.
One summer, I got to water the garden while our neighbours were on holidays. This gave me the opportunity to take a few pictures of the irises they grew. Of course, it was with my SLR camera, and so I had no idea whether the pictures would turn out or not.
When I was going through my old photos to check out if any were potential painting projects, this white iris caught my eye. It was one of the pictures I had taken that day. It reminded me of the value of being good neighbours. It reminded me that I learned a lot about gardens from Lovell and his wife, Vi. Lovell died of cancer just a short while before we moved, and over the years we have lost contact with Vi. I wonder if she still lives in that neighbourhood and grows those amazing irises...they were such great neighbors! I know that when I hear a garden hose spraying water early in the morning, it takes me back to the smell of coffee, and the memory of Lovell and his irises.
If you would like to purchase this painting or commission something similar, please contact me: jogiesbrecht@gmail.com
