A sequence of objects with leaves, 9 April 2020

The number of leaves on a tree is uncounted and in a whole garden there must be numberless myriads, falling frequently at present. At night the cypress tree rustles and moves.Today the stories from friends were all about baking. Kay was making sourdough bread as she had discovered kilos of bread flour in a crock, and taking the warm loaves to her family.  Anne was making hot cross buns to distribute to a sick brother and fragile neighbours. The objects on the window sill in front of the leafy tree seem to have their own personalities. After all, the various areas of a vessel are named after bodily parts: lip, mouth, neck, shoulder, belly and foot. And made from clay out of the earth, in which the trees have their roots.

Here is Semonides of Amorgos, 7th century BC: "The man from Chios said one thing, the most beautiful thing. 'Like the generations of leaves are the generations of men'. Few mortals who have heard this have taken it truly to heart, for hope is ever present in everyone, hope which takes root in the youthful breast. For when a mortal has the lovely blossom of youth, light heartedly she hopes for impossible things... she does not know that the time of youth and life is short. But now that you have learnt this, treat yourself to the good things of life."

Diana Wood Conroy, 'A sequence of objects with leaves', watercolour on Arches paper 15 x21 cm, 9 April 2020