Monthly Archives: January 2023

Under the Rose Bush

“Under the Rose Bush” coloured pencil drawing 16.5 x 18 cm. January 2023

When Lucy and I visited Araluen Botanic Park, quite possibly I whispered, “Look there, under the rose bush”, or perhaps she saw the splendid fairy wren first and alerted me to his presence. Either way we both have images of him on our cameras. And now he is a drawing and will be part of my April 2023 exhibition.

Araluen Botanic Park is my new favourite place. It is a 14 hectare developed garden set in 59 hectares of West Australian native bush in the Perth hills. So many birds work and play there; busy in the tall trees, at eye level in shrubs, hopping low in the leaf litter – birds and bush, birds and flowers. I go regularly for the good health of my soul.

Araluen’s website is https://araluenbotanicpark.com.au/

Lucy and her ‘Muv’ (me) with our cameras at Araluen.

Lucy and Farve (Matthew). Matthew has become an Araluen fan as well. (And yes, there’s a café.)

Afterword: 27 January 2023 – below are photos I took today of some other Araluen Botanic Park residents.

juvenile western whistler
juvenile spotted pardalote
male scarlet robin
white breasted robin
young male red winged fairy wren
A view at Araluen

Ready to Fly

“Ready to Fly” Neocolor II and coloured pencils, 31 x 38 cm. January 2023

I am a bit obsessed with our Rainbow Container Sculpture in East Fremantle. How the colours do change depending on time of day and atmospherics. My newest drawing “Ready to Fly” shows the sculpture on a fiercely clear autumn day. Early morning sun and fresh air result in THE SHOCK OF THE BRIGHT.

How does a seagull in the foreground compete with such forceful colours behind? It flaps its wings and manages to grab our attention with an upward thrust. Off you go.

In my two previous rainbow sculpture drawings “All is Calm” and “Colour My World” there is smoke in the air due to prescribed fire hazard-reduction burns. The colours of the sculpture are considerably muted by hazy atmospherics.

“All is Calm” drawn in October 2022.

The sculpture in reality is absolutely hard-edge; made from shipping containers. But I don’t want to draw hard-edged containers which is why I employ an accommodating bird to focus on. (How often I wait in vain for one to show up!)

“Colour My World” November 2022.

Now that I have drawn the sculpture so many times (four pictures but one didn’t survive) I feel positively drawn to it . When I see it in the distance, usually from a car, I feel a connection thanks to all the hours I have spent observing and rendering it in various lights. As to the birds, they sooth my soul.