Pulling Earth #27

Scratching a house plant

I am lying on Violet’s floor as we prepare to "do something." She is slowly mulling. I'm fine to wait. The day's been busy and I appreciate the feeling of my back against the hard floor. In this moment I am conscious of every breath as my chest cycles up and down. Violet plunks down on top of me and tosses a square of dark paper in my face. It is the thickness of construction paper with a dark waxy surface, which if we scratch with a stick will reveal a colour ombre. We seem to have only one stick, which Violet is quick to notice. She snaps hers in two, "There you go, Daddy."

Our drawing is cut short by dinner. Afterward, I stay at the dining room table while she practices her violin. I look around for my muse. I find it in one of those common hanging house plants. I’m finding it hard to add depth and vary my lines on this paper. My usual approaches to sketching don't seem to apply here. I have to adjust to a new kind of drawing. Scratch, scratch, scratch. I fill my card with the leaves I see.

Violet returns from her duty and I show her my victory. We banter and revisit what we would have sketched in her room. She warns, “Well, I don’t have any plants in my room. I like them, but I don’t want to have to take care of them.” Ha!

P.S. Bec has been nominated for a Webby award for her newsletter Observables, which is a big deal in the internet world! Would you take a moment to vote for her in the People's Choice Category? Would mean a lot!