Tiger Lilies
by Regina Sabiston
(click the pictures for larger versions)
This painting is of a Tiger lily. Bright orange and beautiful these flowers are perennials. I grow them here in my yard. They are similar to the wild lilies we see growing here in Saskatchewan, Canada. They are the provincial flower and grow in fields and ditches. There used to be more around our area, but there seem to be less and less every year for whatever reason. For this very reason, it is against the law to pick them. Granted, there are still some areas with many blooming, but I speak for myself when I say I miss seeing all the bright orange colored flowers that used to bloom in our ditches around the farm. As I go for my walks down the gravel roads I only capture a glimpse of one or two here and there. The lilies are lovely. Imagine all the early settlers coming to Saskatchewan and seeing fields of the bright polka dotted orange flowers. They must have been so inspired and although they would suffer long, cold winters here, they would always be greeted, once a year, with blazing orange flowers nodding their heads saying, "Welcome to Saskatchewan".
I was so inspired by the brilliant orange that I decided to paint my very own home grown lily. I want to paint some wild ones too someday so I bought a beautiful card from a photographer who had captured a wild one with many lilies blooming on one plant...which is more rare. She would like me to paint it. It's on my wish list and someday I will share it with you too. In the meantime, if you're ever out this way around this time of year, make sure you search for the tiger lilies of Saskatchewan.
The planter had to be varnished a few times, but that's easy to do and then all you need is your favorite plants.
