“It was enough just to sit there without words”
shadow on rock
simply leaf
“There is a whole world in a single leaf”
End of September. The garden is a hive of activity . Flowers, bees ,spring rain, orchids flowering in trees...... perfect weather for garden walks.
eco art workshop
16.09.16 An inspiring workshop with Eco artist Tijn Meulendijks 'Originating actions' : Eco-art workshop Thank you artisan for organising it.
The black kauri or blue kauri (Agathis atropurpurea) is a species of conifer in the Araucariaceae family. It is found only in Queensland, Australia and is threatened by habitat loss. (pictured on the right above)
early spring
“When the days become longer and there is more sunshine,the grass becomes fresh and,consequently, we feel very happy.”
September. Spring has arrived.......
the last days of winter
the last days of winter .....working with paper........ inspired by nature
mangroves at low tide
As part of the botanic garden residency I am able to work in both the city botanic gardens and the Mt Coot-tha botanic gardens. A visit last week to the mangrove swamp situated at the edge of the city botanical gardens cradling the Brisbane river was fascinating and inspirational. Painting and drawing mangroves at low tide has kept me busy. I look forward to a high tide visit soon.
dusty landscapes
winter drawing in the garden with pastels .
paper petals
a winter garden in paper....
grevillea heaven
The Grevilleas are flowering. Painting heaven.....
in the shadow
“The beauty of shadow comes from the beauty of light!”
winter landscape
winter gathering
“I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of landscape - the loneliness of it - the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn’t show.”
trees by the lake
I have been spending time by the lake in the Australian Plant Section of the botanical gardens walking and writing and staring at the reflections on the water .
a return to the lake.......
“All pictures painted inside the studio will never be as good as the things done outside”
Cooler weather ...it"s time to head into the garden and paint.
magnolia
“Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree. ”
thorns and petals
The Arid Zone......Thorns....During the month of April I enjoyed the arid zone with it's beautiful Aloes and Euphorbias and the succulents in the Cacti and Succulent house. I also enjoyed meeting Prue who looks after the succulents,the fern house and the tropical Dome.
The Temperate Zone......Petals....... on the other side of the lake the Camellias and Magnolias are flowering. What a beautiful sight!
un doing
This week I went to the Botanical gardens and sat on the park bench. No need to take a photograph. No need to pick a specimen. No need to do anything.
Look at the lake. Smell the swampy water. Listen to the birds. Feel the gentle morning breeze on my skin.
Just perfect!
“Blow the candle out - I don’t need to see what my thoughts look like”
the picture of the lake taken on the 17 March
oh Stapelia!
This week I continue to paint specimens from the succulent and aloe garden.
During my early morning visit to the gardens on Wednesday I met Prue who is back from her holiday. She looks after the succulent area.. She very kindly picked me a Stapelia from the garden to include in my box of specimens to paint for the week... She also informed me I would have to clean the fly larvae out of the center as I may have a maggot problem in the studio if I don't! The Stapelia is a carrion flower and its odour of rotting meat attracts insects to it.
Back in the studio I immediately set to work picking the fly larvae out of the flower centre with a toothpick and giving it a good rinse. The flower feels like latex. looks like a starfish. and it proved a very difficult specimen to paint.
I failed. My miserable effort ended up being torn up and placed in the bin. But I was treated to a wonderful display of the Stapelia flower on my work desk being lit up by an afternoon ray of sunshine.
That was worth the struggle!
into the arid zone
The work table in the studio is full of wonderful thorny specimens from the botanical gardens.
Handle with care!
“the desert is oozing power”
don Juan whispered in my ear
”there is no time to be timid”
”
thorny poetry
For the month of April I will be in the arid zone.......
I am meeting Steve,the supervisor of this area of the botanical gardens, on Friday. I will be focusing on Southern African succulents and have some ideas for 'arid zone inspired' sculptures. I'm excited!
“‘So they drove again, Vivien sitting up and looking now, but as navigator only, letting the desert scratch it’s own thorny poetry on the enormous moon’”
