Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Drawing on nature

fig III / lactic
fig III / lactic, originally uploaded by various brennemans.

I excitedly snapped the first figs from their little branches today, careful not to get that sticky milk substance on my hands, it's like glue. Living in a very multicultural suburb in Melbourne's inner North, fig trees are in every second yard. Hanging over back-lane fences or along the railway lines pomegranate, quince, olives, persimmon, all are also wonderfully abundant this time of year. Circe my seventeen-month old shared a back-yard fig with me today, both her first and the season's. They have been a long time coming and are smaller than usual although still plentiful.

While out there eating it, I noticed only today that my amazingly tall corn (I mean it stands at probably 7 feet tall!) has several stalks which are producing beautiful pink silks. If anybody knows why I'd really love to know. The seeds were from Diggers, I noticed that the upper flowers are also pinkish on these stalks. I am very proud of one particular stalk which has 7 ears of corn, yeah. Circe will be so thrilled just these last two days she has a new word, "corn." Thankfully she is dwarfed by my super corn and will not be able to yank out the corn before it is ready, like she does with the tomatoes. I cannot wait, however, to hold her up to it so she can pick her own. It doesn't get better than that.
exuberance
After the lovely fig-morning, there was some protest today about going to kinder. A sore tummy and a sad look on Eliza's face tugged at my heart strings. It was gloomy outside and Circe too was looking sleepy, easy decision really to stay at home.

A quick feed for the little one, some snuggles and right to sleep she went. I made Eliza a bed on the floor in her room, drew her curtains gave her a hot water bottle. Lots of cuddles and the glow of her owl lanterns sent off to sleep, too!

Two children asleep, and my house was quiet and peaceful. I could have done one of many household tasks, instead I sat with watercolours, pen and my moleskin, not even a cup of tea. I drew and painted for an hour, a lovely way to spend the quiet time I do believe.
time well spent

5 comments:

  1. those times are precious at the moment my youngest is asleep so the house goes quiet i can just hear somone cutting the grass in the distance lovely drawing

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  2. Beautiful drawing! I'd love to see more! Are your chosen subjects typically still lives?

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  3. Thank you both on the lovely comments. As for my chosen subjects, well I did do a fair amount of work on flowers both large and small scale, when I was painting more frequently. I have also done works taken from aerial shots from an unmanned plane over Shark bay. These were more a study of blocks of colour and line. I am searching for inspiration now, to push my boundaries a little.

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  4. what a dreamy time when kids are asleep and the house is quiet - and what a gorgeous drawing...

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  5. Hi Ines, I just wanted to share that I love figs, which are best eaten as soon as they are picked off the tree. I grew up in an inner northern suburb of Melbourne too, where we have fig, persimmon and lemon trees in the back yard and an olive tree in the front (from which me mum prepares great green olives). Last summer,my daughter and I enjoyed picking and eating figs from an overhanging neighbour's tree, located in the inner northern area of London. We haven't had a great summer this year so the figs aren't doing so well, but hopefully we can taste a few next month. Love the fact that even in London we can pick fruit from local trees, including black berries, apples (from which my partner makes apple sauce).
    By the way - love the photos and the drawings. What bliss to draw for an hour while the kids were sleeping. M

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