I came across this amazing book while I was searching online for artists who paint nature, birds, using watercolors. This book caught my attention because of its uniqueness and personal touch. And off course, because of its beautiful illustrations of nature, seasons, birds. I like watercolor more than any other medium. It has this gentleness and purity, like none other. Unlike oil or any other medium, were you can paint over and over again till you get what you want, with watercolors, you get one chance to get it right, else you could end up muddy.
I luckily found this book in a local library. I was so thrilled to get hold of it. With the turn of each page, I came across lovely paintings, select poems, nature notes. It was simply delightful to browse through its pages. The beautiful illustrations of nature, the gentle strokes of brush and the compositions were simply amazing. I was so glad to get my hands on this book. And I truly admire the artist for her beautiful imagination, and thoughtful representation of nature’s treasures, the unfolding of seasons, and her ability to capture the essence of each month of the year so accurately. In her country diary, we find nature notes on every month, beginning from January to December.
I would like to share with you few excerpts from her diary and a little background of who she was. If you happen to come across this lovely book, do certainly take a look. It will leave you deeply touched.
The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady - Edith Holden(Published for the first time in 1977)
Publisher's note :
"On January 1, 1906, Edith Holden made the first entry in a diary which was to record the countryside through the changing seasons. Her words, all carefully written by hand, include her favorite poems, personal thoughts and observations on the wildlife surrounding her home in the village of Olton, Warwickshire. The exceptionally beautiful paintings on every page of birds, butterflies, bees, and flowers reflect her deep love of nature; they have been executed with a naturalist's eye for detail and the sensitivity of an artist.
Edith Holden's Diary of that year became a very special book for her, and she allowed no one to see it. For seventy years, this enchanting book had lain undiscovered until it was found recently on the shelves of an English country house. Now being published for the first time, this full color facsimile edition recaptures all the freshness, charm, and beauty of the original.
The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady is a book for all seasons, a gift for all times."
To sit on rocks; to muse o'er flood and fell;
To slowly trace the forest's shady scene,
Where things that own not man's dominion dwell,
And mortal foot hath ne'er or rarely been!
To climb the trackless mountain all unseen,
With the wild flock, that never need a fold;
Alone o'er steeps and foaming falls to lean;
This is not solitude: 'tis but to hold
Converse with Nature's charms, and view her stores unrolled."
- Byron
