"What I'm making this week, holding it up under a lamp to get enough light, Wednesday" (a day late... of course)Not long after we moved here an old friend came to visit and stay with us overnight. He's a pretty un-excitable person usually, so it was fun to see him get very excited about our new locality. He was overwhelmed at all the nature, and kept asking me what bird is that when we'd hear a bird chirp or sing. I reminded him I'm a city girl, I had moved to the inner suburbs of Sydney as soon as I left high school and had been there ever since, and although I take great notice of them, I still had no idea whatsoever about which birds were which.
Since starting on this body of work that's starting to change. I'm intentionally including elements from this new environment in my paintings, and have been researching to make sure I get the right species, etc. So I'm now learning the names of all this stuff and just how unique this region is in some aspects.
This new painting is bigger than the others. It has no bird, but instead features the flower of the passionfruit that's native to this stretch of coast. Passionfruit flowers come from all sorts of areas, but there are a few native to specific areas of Australia too. This one is less brightly coloured than the South American versions, but freakishly alien and amazing all the same.
There's also a quote by Iris Murdoch included in this painting:
"People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us."
Good isn't it? It really inspired me. Is it a sign of me getting old that I'm starting to take notice of flowers? I like to think I'm at least doing something a bit different with them...
5 comments:
Beautiful. Beautiful painting, beautiful flower. Oh, and beautiful quote as well. Your work is really taking you places! I love the quality of the pencil drawing below the translucent watercolour. So much depth! I'm a huge fan :) ...as always.
These paintings of yours are really gorgeous flossy - what an exquisite series!
Passionflowers I think are the most alien of flowers, so maybe people from another planet would feel okay about them.
This is the first year that I have undertaken planting bulbs, and am eagerly awaiting some buds to sprout near the leaves that are already peeking out of the dirt. If you're getting old, then I'm ancient!
I'm in love with your latest paintings- So beautiful!!
After reading 'trade secrets' I had to laugh,I do the exact same thing with my tube paints in the pallet- but all my work has a similar pallet that way.
I have passionflowers in my garden too, but they are the native NC version & quite different. Still alien-looking though-- my sister-in-law once asked me if they were diseased! She was from northern climes, & had never seen the species.
I love the quote, the painting, & your stories. I too admire birds in a less-than-scientific way. Except the ones that have eaten all my ripe figs. If they would just leave me 3 a day I'd be satisfied.
Ok, this is definitely my favorite so far. Beautiful!
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