My family lives in a house with a vegetable garden. Many vegetables and fruits grow there. Raspberries, cherry trees, apple trees…and a huge viburnum tree. When I was a child I picked all the berries except the viburnum. Viburnum has wonderful bright red berries. But their taste is so bitter, absolutely terrible, and disgusting. So, this viburnum blooms, then wilts, then blooms and wilts again and again... Attractive exterior picture. Unpleasant interior content. It is like beautiful words and promises with no real actions nor dignified behaviors.
Of course, this plant has green leaves, but I have drawn them blue. I remember one soviet story written by Valentina Ovseeva. "Blue Leaves". This story still breaks my heart.
School drawing lesson. Two friends. Katya and Lena. Katya had two green pencils. Lena does not have one. So, Lena asks Katya:
- Give me your green pencil, please
- I have to ask my mother first, - says Katya
The day after.
- Did your mother allow you? - asks Lena
- Mom yes, but I did not ask my brother, - says Katya
- Well, ask your brother again, - says Lena
The day after.
- So your brother allowed it? - asks Lena
- Yes, but I'm afraid you'll break my pencil, - worries Katya
- I will be careful, - says Lena
- Listen, don't break it, don't press hard, don't take it in your mouth, don't draw too much, - says Katya
- Don't worry, I need to color just a few leaves on my tree, - says Lena
- It's too much! - says Katya frowning and making a disgusted face
Lena looks at her and leaves. Lena does not take the pencil. Suddenly, Katya becomes surprised and runs after her:
- Well, take it!
- No, thank you, - answers Lena
After that the teacher looks at the drawings and asks Lena:
- Lena, why the blue leaves on your tree are blue?
- Because I don't have a green pencil.
- So, why didn't you take Katya’s one?
Lena doesn't answer. Katya shames on and says:
- I proposed it to her, but she didn't take it.
The teacher says:
- You should give things with such an attitude so that people can accept them.
This is a little story explaining to children not to be stingy but be generous. The most superficial sense. But. What if we related it to adult life? One promise is one thousand reasons not to keep it. One thousand stupid excuses instead of one simple "No".
Thus, outer beauty and inner pain are united in this picture.