If you love lilies, as I do, you will see them point to the sun. Each individual bloom opens for a single day with the sunrise and then closes up at night, never to reopen. Fortunately for us, there are a succession of blooms on each stem so that a clump may bloom for about 3 weeks.

Summertime is a race for painters like me who paint from life. Each flower type has its own timetable and it’s tricky to be able to fit them all into their own paintings.

I take lots of photos, but painting from life is an exhilarating experience and is always my preference.