Tucked away in a "problem" corner is the Agave patch, growing towards the light. In the morning as the sun rises above the trees, their thick succulent leaves catch the morning sun, and I tried to capture this "glow" with the backlit edges. Had to do this one over two mornings as I only had about 10 minutes each time to catch the sun on the leaves. At the same time, the blues and purples of the shadowed areas emerged, the longer I looked. Good practice at fast painting!I have always wanted a little bit of Rottnest in my garden, so many years ago planted several (too many) Rottnest Island pine trees. After culling some due to root problems and a large crack in the front wall as a testament to my planting, I have five left, scattered throughout the garden. Most are male trees, but the couple of female ones have provided food for the white-tailed cockatoos from time to time.These two pots of petunias have been flowering since last November, despite waterless periods when I went camping and general negligence over the months. I really liked the shadows the pots are casting on the path as the sun moves northwards. Now that I have painted them, I will pull them out and replace them with iris bulbs which my generous neighbour Nicki has given me. These pots are the only non-drought or non- native garden plants that I plant out to flowers each year for a burst of colour. .The early morning sun on these old Bali urns was a painting waiting to happen this morning. As I painted, the tiniest of honey eaters were visiting for a quick drink. I am so fortunate to have my garden during these days. I could only capture the main light/dark light patterns (see my second photo) before the light changed dramatically and the clouds moved over. As a result, I had to complete the painting from memory and a photo. So - only part Plein Air today.These two date palms grow on my neighbours' verge and feed the local birds when they are fruiting. In the late afternoon, they take on a glow which sometimes, makes them look like they are on fire. They are not the easiest trees to capture in paint - went for the loose impressionistic look today!In memory of Susi, my four-legged companion and camping buddy, who died yesterday. I first got Susi, as a "senior for seniors" dog from the refuge 4 years ago. I was very fortunate to have a companion who patiently waited, often for 2 hours, while I painted away in the bush, or around our campsite, never wandering far and assailing all who approached me with a fiercesome "keep your distance" bark. I shall miss her but have great memories. |