I painted these tulips for a little over a week. The best place to set down a vase of flowers is right in the middle of all my art supplies on my desk. That way, it gets drawn whenever I can spare some time, or while I chat online with friends.
Flowers are a great subject to experiment with. Their simple forms and easy recognizability somehow allow for free play with the subject in a range of different media and techniques.
Between the start of this series on February 14th and the last piece on February 24th, when the tulips died, the world changed for the worse as Russia went to war with Ukraine.
You’ve seen the images on television and everywhere in the news, and if you’re an urban sketcher, you’re seeing groups from Ukraine, Russia and really all over the world post reportage sketches of protests against the war. If you follow this blog, you know my friend Nina Khashchina’s work. Nina’s parents live in Kharkiv, a city under attack.
I’m sharing this sketch Nina made of her parents and her words with it from her Instagram feed.
“These are the human faces of the war that Russia declared on Ukraine. These are my parents, they are far away from me, in a country that is fighting for its life. Thank you to all who fights to protect them and Ukraine and the right to be different, independent, the right to choose your path.”
If you are looking for a place to donate towards humanitarian aid during this awful time, here is a vetted organization, Nova Ukraine.
Sketch Away: Travels with my sketchbook 
Your flower sketches/paintings are always luscious. These tulips are divine!
I rarely take a sketchbook to church but, in retrospect, wish I had yesterday. Several people clearly chose their outfits to show the colors of Ukraine and honor that brave country.
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Nice drawings, I really like your flowers, also you really captured the determination / fear of the people on your faces.
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Suhita, Thanks for naming a vetted organization to donate to. I just did it. My thoughts are with Nina and family. What a horrid tragedy. My heart goes out.
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thank you Susan, it’s beyond sad 😦
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Great sketches, a great cause. terrific that you have become involved.
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Vivienne, I can only share words, art and links to donate at like all of us can. so that is what I do.
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Suhita, your post is inspiring from beginning to end. Thank you for the news about Nina’s family. They have been in my heart all day. And thanks, for the link to Nova Ukraine. I, too, was glad to donate. You always take your art to the next level — using it to enrich both our inner and outer worlds. With much gratitude, BLS
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Barbara, thank you for your kind words. In a time when there is such awful news, I can only share words, art and links to donate at.
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Thank you for your thought provoking words and simple beauty in your sketchbook tulips. I appreciate an inside look form Nina with family and friends in the midst of war. In Ohio, I see very few images and scanty coverage of the true story of Ukraine. Thank you. I pray for an end to violence, safe keeping for Nina’s family and friends and peace. God bless them all.
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Every bit counts, and searching out the news and keeping friends and those in our big art family in mind is sometimes all you can do.
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I like the wilty ones best! 😉 And my heart goes out to Nina and her family. I have sent a donation to Nova Ukraine and will continue to send more to other organizations as I can. The madness must stop.
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beyond madness and it goes on. i am trying to think of what we can do to help
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