Jacaranda Time

A purple flush is creeping over Johannesburg... the jacarandas are coming into bloom and our notorious city is transformed into a thing of beauty and a joy for October into November... Since the demise of my camera (only yesterday - it feels like a week!) I've been toting my bag full of sketching tricks around, and bravely parking around the streets to draw. This nervous one below was the first - on my way to fetch my son from school in Northcliff, a gorgeous hilly foresty old suburb full of resplendently lush gardens. None of which you can tell from this sketch
The Pilot fineliner I used bled far too much into the watercolours, and the distant view melded into the foreground
This morning I parked on a Melville street and drew the (top) view towards the city, with water-soluble pencil, which worked better - then stopped in at our prettiest little church to spend a quiet hour in the garden - well, I would have to look up more superlatives - it is just bursting with colour, light, life and abundance. It was planted and nurtured by my friend, our now-retired pastor's wife, Wendy, and assistant gardener and verger, Joshua - a haven of peace and beauty to all who enter or walk past. This is just a little bit - I'll have to go back to do more.