1. traces

I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.
— John Muir - John of the Mountains

The new work has begun. 

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 . 

grevillea heaven

The Grevilleas are flowering. Painting heaven.....

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.
— Andrew Wyeth

a return to the lake.......

All pictures painted inside the studio will never be as good as the things done outside
— Paul Cezanne

Cooler weather ...it"s time to head into the garden and paint.

magnolia

Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.
— Emily Bronte

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
— Emile Zola

the picture of the lake taken on the 17 March

autumn

“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of each.” —Henry David Thoreau

learning through seeing

Monday mornings I go early to the botanical gardens to collect  specimens to paint during the week. I carefully select, cut and take them back to my studio. They are placed in a row of glass bottles on my work table. Each day I select a single flower to focus on. I try to simply paint what I see .

when you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it’s your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else.
— Georgia O'Keefe

pastel drawings of this week's specimens hanging in the studio.