Daffodils and Coyotes

Yellow Daffodils' trumpets are heralding spring and I have wonderful references to create from. Living in the Southeast winter is about colder temperatures and rain, very rarely snow. By February we start seeing flowers.

One warm and dry weekend I took a walk in my neighborhood, headed to where I knew a patch of daffodils would be. I wasn't disappointed.

Since this area backed up against an undeveloped foothill and was heavily wooded, I scanned for wildlife, not just squirrels. Without any sighting, I thumped my walking stick on the snowdrift of leaves to know my footing, checking for possible wildlife hiding there. Headed for the daffodils, I suddenly realized the leaf rustling wasn't just me. Stopping, I scan again. I realize I had found the neighborhood coyotes.

You know when you read something and you think you know what you'll do? Expect to freeze at your first encounter of something new, and actually these coyotes had a majesty to them, gorgeous coat colors of red browns and grays. Then the thought "Dogs don't like sudden movement." As I carefully and slowly backed towards the street, at about the same time the coyotes moved deeper into the forest and up the foothill. I decided with them moving on, I could snap my photos and then head home.

Spending February Creating

The rest of February found me painting daffodils, finding a composition, colors and pausing when another warmish and dry weekend occurred. This time the daffodils in my yard were blooming. So I grabbed a sketchbook, pencil, and stool and went outside to sketch them, and they were also photographed. The following week back to figuring out composition challenges and more painting.

By the end of the last week of February, I set aside everything I had done, and sat sketching out a completely different composition. I then transferred this to watercolor paper and inked with a brown Pigma Micron pen and painted with watercolor. Daffodils for March Birth Flower was finally completed.

I titled this new artwork:

Daffodils in the Woods

Daffodil or Jonquil?

There are over 50 species, and around 13,000 varieties of daffodils!

The Daffodil belongs to the narcissus genus (we've encountered this genus with paperwhites/snowdrops from January and of course December's narcissus), botanical name Pseudonarcissus commonly known as Wild Daffodil, with two inch trumpets and a love for the woods, while being deer and rabbit resistant, but clearly not coyote.

Is a daffodil a jonquil? The saying goes, "ALL jonquils are daffodils, but not all daffodils are jonquils." So What's the difference? Daffodils produce a single flower on the stalk, with six tepals (commonly known as a petal). Jonquils usually have up to three flowers per stem, but sometimes one. This is the most common way of distinguishing the two.

Symbolism of Daffodil Flowers

Creativity, Inspiration, Renewal, Vitality, Awareness, Inner Reflection, Memory, Forgiveness are all associated meanings for the daffodil.

You have to appreciate Medieval Europe: that if a daffodil droops while you gaze on it, this was a sign of impending death.

In the U.S. it is the official sign for the American Cancer Association symbolizing hope for a cure.

With their sunny yellow and trumpet I can only think of celebration of Spring's arrival. A wonderful flower to celebrate birthdays in the month of March.

Happy Birthday to You, if March is your birthday month.

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Thank you for reading my adventures and visiting my shop.

Your Painterly Artist,

Elizabeth