Having chosen Foliage etc as our subject matter this term, I have been interested in how much more I am noticing plants and foliage as i walk around Grey Lynn at the moment.
Whether it is a skinny Cordyline up against a skinny villa or an amazing spotted Calathea which i found at the plant shop and which i hope survives until the start of class(poor history with pot plants…usually caused by over watering anxiety)
but also trawling through my photo files i realise that i have taken photos of foliage the world over…whether it was lush yellows and triffid like growth in Rarotonga or plants that appear to thrive with no water at all in Spain and still be remarkably beautiful, i realised i have photographed them ALL!!
So this term is panning out to be an opportunity to do some serious drawing and observation exercises at the hall, from life(our own foliage specimens plus a drapery observing day) and then to luxuriate in finally getting to that ornamental pear at the bottom of the garden against the dark wall that you have always thought would make a painting
I have also been re reading Anne Lamottes book “Bird by Bird” which is about writing and managing the creative process, and is bitingly funny and absolutely helpful with the painting process too
in the b ook she mentions a passage written by Gary Snyder
Ripples on the surface of the water-
were silver salmon passing under-different from the ripples caused by breezes
she says there is ecstacy in paying attention…
if you start to look around you will start to see….
THATS what this term is about
let me know if you want to come along