I've been playing out in the wide world, looking at the colours and thinking of pictures and creations. As usual, getting away reminds me of who I am and of all of the images and ideas, colour and creations I want to be part of my life.
Travel opens possibilities. It wipes the veneer of weekly, daily, monthly work and routine out of my head and reminds me that life is short and is here to be lived to the full. Bloom and fade: celebrate and burst with colour.
The things I see make me want to draw all day, paint all evening, dream all night.
I did do a little painting on this trip, and lots and lots of drawing. Constant doodling. I made the commitment not to worry if it was any good; just to do as much drawing as I could. Even though we're back and the wind is wuthering (and we've got the traditional post-air journey sniffles), I'm doodling most days. It feels great.
And this is one of the photos from the trip that I find most wonderfully, richly satisfying.
Doesn't that just make you tingle? They look rich and full but pokey and prickly all at the same time. Can you see how big these barrel cacti are? I purposefully poked my toe in the bottom of the photo so you could see just how bloody enormous they are. I imagine if you sat on them, they'd pop. Or slump. (And poke billions of little cacti-holes in your delicate derriere.)
These photos were all taken one sunny fine day in Grand Rapids, Michigan, as I went around the botanical gardens and sculpture park. Big thanks to my lovely host, Jennifer, for suggesting it -- somehow I never fail to find inspiration in a great garden.
Especially one with vistas like this that remind me of the summers in Canada and big fields of wildflowers.
Now all I need is a big floaty dress and a sunhat. (Too bad they lost my luggage and all I had was my Melbourne winter black. But that's all forgiven and in the past now, right?)
Ahh, holidays. > dream <
9 comments:
Welcome back! What a wonderful glimpse of summer on a filthy cold winter's night! I think your photos are fabulous (echinacea? love-in-the-mist?). Look forward to seeing some of the drawings you did ... hope you will post them.
so glad it was a good get away! and i am very happy it pumped the creative juices up for you ... i was with debi on the weekend and we were talking about how shocked we both were to learn doodling and such had slipped a little out of your life - it is such a big part of the bev we remember!
so good to "read" you again ... i miss your posts when they are infrequent ... (smiles) ...
Love the flower photos. I love going to gardens like that that have something unusual like LARGE cacti. Looks like a great place to visit. Too bad about your luggage, though.
Oh, I got it back a couple of days later... unlike the Mr., who waited three whole weeks for his....
A floaty dress and sunhat should never be under-estimated for its good-for-the-soul-ness...
Welcome back! It looks glorious I'll just have tp time-travel slowly to summer, takes about six months ;)
Absolutely Tania -- I made myself a sundress, that'll be in apost to come. Exciting it was!
Those cacti are so stunning. I didn't notice your foot in the picture until you mentioned it and was even more taken when I realised how large they are.
Hope you are settling back in to real life.
Oh Bev! I've been dreaming about green, flower-filled summers lately .... love your pics, especially the fat cacti and the echinacea. Beautiful! They just make me all the more eager to move to our new house and get that garden started!
I went to the travel agent the other day, to talk about booking a trip to New England and Canada next year. It will only be for a few weeks, but I can hardly wait! You've inspired me lots :-)
x J
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