flame trees

My Illustration Friday attempt for "song".

I’ve been so busy, working through a hellishly busy time at work, trying to make bags, restoring a piece of furniture, doing yoga, keeping in touch with friends, drawing, attempting to do my income tax, spending time with Mr You, having various tests at the doctor, and sleeping and eating somewhere in there too. This week, in an effort to buy myself some much needed time, I have “consolidated” two of those things. My illustration this week is combined with, and has inspired one of the bags I’m making.

This sewn illustration is based on a cover version of the old Cold Chisel song “Flame Trees” re-rendered so beautifully by Sarah Blasko. The song had always had bad connotations for me of really drunk boys at partys sucking the beer out of the end of a keg, barely able to stand, arms around each other wailing away to the lyrics of this song.
It’s always messy and never nice. (Actually made me dispise all Cold Chisel music for a long time).

Thankfully, Sarah Blasko has rescued this beautiful song for me. Originally written about Grafton, a country town up North who’s only real claim to fame is its annual Jacaranda festival. These giant trees bloom every spring with intense purple flowers, and their red counterparts, the ‘flame trees’ do the same, lining the streets and blanketing the ground in rich vivid colours.

“The flame trees will blind the weary driver
And there's nothing else could set fire to this town”

It’s not exactly a bag as such yet, but next week it will be. If anyone is interested I’m thinking of putting it on eBay.