Mary P Williams

The old-fashioned Hollyhock came from Asia and Europe. When I was a child, 75 years ago, they were plentiful. I imagine that the pioneer women brought a few precious seeds with them to remind them of their countries of birth. They are extra hardy and love hot weather requiring little care: water them and they will thrive. In a little town by the Salton Sea, in California, I drove by a breathtaking display of hollyhocks in full bloom.

Hollyhocks Against the Fence

Stopping, I was thrilled to meet the person watering them. Her name was Lucy and we chatted after she told me to take all the pictures I desired. She handed me a cut stalk of brilliant red and said, ‘Would you like to see my paintings of the flowers?” In we went to her living room, where she had these two paintings.

Lucy’s Painting of Hollyhocks and Roses

Lucy’s Roses

“I only paint roses and hollyhocks. They are my favorites.” Lucy said. I said that the flowers she gave me were inspiring me to paint hollyhocks during this shelter-in-place isolation. She nodded and said that she still had to go to work regardless since she had to support herself.

As we parted Lucy invited me to come back anytime if I needed fresh hollyhocks for my watercolor painting.

So I painted those flowers and returned to give the painting to Lucy.

Lucy and My Painting

Here are the flowers, Lucy, and the painting.

Hollyhocks

Still trying to get it right! These colors are hard to match.