FLOWER PAINTING
IN WATER COLORS.
There is, perhaps, no branch of decorative art more fascinating and less troublesome to acquire than that of painting flowers in water-colors. The outfit is so inexpensive as to be within the reach of all, while there is no reason that any one, with sufficient taste and patience to learn any kind of fancy work, should not attain a tolerably satisfactory degree of proficiency. Of course, every one knows that really artistic work can only be done by those who have mastered the rudiments of drawing and color, and who possess also some degree of talent. But many, who could never hope to call themselves artists, will nevertheless find, if they but try, that they can do much toward beautifying their homes, and giving pleasure to their friends, by the use of the brush. And my experience has been, that very many of my friends who now can paint with both skill and taste, succeeded in defiance of all the rules of the schools. They attempted to paint before they could draw; when, in fact, they had to trace everything they wished to paint. Their first emotion after carefully coloring a traced drawing was surprise that they could do so much, but quickly followed the feeling of dissatisfaction with their work, accompanied, however, with the conviction, that having once painted a flower they could certainly improve on it. The beginning is the great trouble. To avoid difficulties,
