22.7.21

This afternoon on the allotment, an elderly man kept passing with a laden barrow. Eventually we got chatting and he delighted in showing me his abundant plot! I explained I was here looking after my neighbours' patch while they were away and that the place was creatively inspiring, mentioning I liked to paint watercolours. With that he plucked off this teasel and offered it as a subject matter, perhaps smiling wryly at the challenge he'd set. It's not something I would have chosen to paint but the closer you look, the more beautiful everything becomes.