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

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!