Winter Hellebore by my dustbin

Hellebore, crayon, pen, watercolour and gouche on paper 25x35cms

A heathy clump of hellebores have grown up near my dustbin with their clusters of pale green ‘Christmas Roses’. The story goes that they were revealed to a young shepherdess under the snow when she was looking for something beautiful to bring to the Christ Child.
I picked one, because it was cold and I wanted to paint it in the warm, and study the strong rough dark green leaves with their serrated edges. I completely forgot that they are in fact poisonous, but luckily as I am always washing my hands, no harm was done. They also need a great deal of water as by morning the Hellebore had drained the vase.

Each month I choose a different flower or plant to illustrate the chapter headings for the book I am writing about my journey since my husband died. It has been a way to process and make sense of all that has happened.