Pottering Around


ink & watercolour illustration, 7.25" x 6.5" [19 x 16.5cm]

One of my favourite places to have coffee is a nearby nursery and homewares establishment.  Their cafe overlooks a refreshing fountain and masses of plants, and has a restorative vibe about it.  And aside from having plants, it looks nothing like this one! 

But this one, though it no longer exists, was very gorgeous in its day, and transported you to Provence or Tuscany when you walked through its stone doorway.  Not literally, of course... otherwise I'm guessing the shop would still be in business. 

Just like the nursery up the road, such places make me long to potter with potting and attempt an Edward Scissorhands out in the garden.  But I'm worried my hair may start to look like his.  And black hair just doesn't suit me.

22 comments

  1. Wow, what a delightful drawing! I'd love to pop into this place to be transported to Provence or Tuscany. Bummer the place is closed. As far as your desire to become an exotic shrubbery trimmer, just remember that Shell Scissorhands is awfully difficult to say!

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  2. A coffee shop with plants and transporting ability would be pretty much perfect. The one in your illustration looks quite perfect too!


    We won't discuss how often I have watched A Good Year.

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  3. What a lovely looking shop. I hope something equally delightful has replaced it. Perhaps a private residence? I wouldn't mind living there.

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  4. LOL, Katie! How about Edward Shelleyhands?

    Amy ~ it would certainly give them a market edge!

    Cali ~ it was a florist the last time I looked ~ but if the council would allow, it would make a lovely little studio apartment!

    Thanks, Bhavesh! :)

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  5. A transporting garden centre: I like it a lot. I think you should get into face-cream advertising. If your droll approach didn't sell more than the traditional lies, the human race deserves no better.

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  6. Mise ~ lies? So the face cream I just bought won't rescue my cat from a tree?

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  7. Soothing drawings! I liked the boating reflection and Greeks wearing shifts. :) The drawing of cafe is cool. The discription is very nice. :)

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  8. Oh I love this place. Who knew.....a garden/cafe shop. What a great idea. Ever told you I wish we lived near each other........in Paris???:)
    V

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  9. We had a place like that in Pasadena that tried to make a go of things. Often I'd be the only person in there; why was that.

    But thank you for reminding me.

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  10. Hi, Chandrika! Thanks so much for dropping in ~ I'm glad you found my illustrations soothing.

    Virginia ~ aah, wouldn't that be wonderful!!

    Hiker ~ the plant and homewares prices are crazy, but there's a caffeine plus atmosphere = impulse buying factor at work, I'm guessing!

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  11. Shell, may be not the black hair, but how about the Edward Shelleyhands makeup?

    Hiker, where was the place? Maybe it was before my time. Ben at the Gallery said I can bring my coffee there. Soon as it warms up I'm going to do that. Coffee and laptop.

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  12. we could have a bloggers gathering there some day perhaps?
    Wouldn't that be fun?!
    Beautiful piece you have created Miss Sherree.
    Love your Demitasse of Daisies too!

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  13. Petrea ~ some might say I'm pale enough to pull off Edward Shelleyhands without the help of makeup. :)

    Lily ~ that would be fun ~ I think we'd be quite a handful, somehow!

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  14. I just love this and would be so thrilled if I could be transported to Tuscany where I've never been !
    It's not worth living so close, compared to most of you !!!

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  15. Marylène ~ I'm sure you'd adore Tuscany!

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  16. Let's not forget the beautiful skyline behind it, which adds another level of interest to the picture.

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  17. How perfectly charming! You must miss this place. When the genie pops up and grants me 3 wishes, one of them might have to be teleportation—but not just for me because I'd want my family and friends to be able to come along. Shall I put you on the list (in case that genie shows up any time soon)?

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  18. Margaret ~ there are lots of office buildings around it ~ this little pocket near the bottom of the street is a little haven.

    Alexa ~ absolutely, please do! Teleportation can't come soon enough for me.

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  19. My hair looks like Edward Scissorhands' on a daily basis even though I do no gardening whatsoever. Maybe I need scissorhands so I can give it a neat cut.

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  20. I think that coffee shops inside garden centres must be a Qld thing. My mother once took me to one at Buderim Mountain and it was lovely. I think that your climate helps a bit. Not much fun sitting in the cold and damp of a winter's day in our local garden centre!!

    Your sketch is beautiful, Shell.

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  21. PCN ~ those lightning and hail storms you were talking about might be turning a few people over there into Edward Scissorhands lookalikes. Maybe they should go to Vegas.

    Thanks, MmeB! I really thought the nursery cafes would be quite common by now, so it's been interesting to hear that they aren't.

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Merci, grazie, thank you for joining our conversation lounge. Your smile lights up the room. Even more beautifully than our crystal chandelier. x

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