Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Painting the Town Purple

Some more jacaranda sketches while they last... after this Jozie will be green, green, green...I did a little pencil sketch and added the colour later - not ideal - and that pillar is so skew!
A magnificent indigenous 'umbrella tree' acacia sharing sky with an alien invader - we have the world's biggest man-made urban forest (I think I've mentioned that before) - mostly exotics
As commented on in the previous post, the jacaranda flowers strewn on the road pop pop pop as car tyres drive over them - but you have to go slowly and have your window open to hear them.

13 comments:

Gillian said...

These are so beautiful! Bring back memories of the jacaranda avenue past the Bulawayo Museum. October is a good month to visit Jo'burg. I remember the delight of a couple of jacaranda trees at the Abbotsford property on the Nahoon River. The the South Easter came through and - whoosh! - the mauve cloud was gone!
Your light and shadows are perfect. Love the old Jozie skyline in the background.

Cathy Gatland said...

Joburg reminds me a lot of Bulawayo - only a whole lot bigger and brasher - last year the jacaranda blossoms were wiped out in a day or two by hail and thunderstorms. This year they're staying a bit longer, and why I'm feeling I must catch them while I can!

Catherine said...

Beautiful watercolor sketches! As for the pillar - askew is always better than perfection.

Vivienne said...

These are as breathtaking as the subject. Have you thought of a little Johannesburg year book?
There are quite a few jacarandas in Perth gardens and the occasional glimpse of one in full flower brings instant memories ...Joburg,Bulawayo and Umtali streets where they were combined with brilliant red "flambouyant". And that pop pop of the mauve carpet.

Cathy Gatland said...

Thanks Catherine - I thought that pillar was pretty straight until I posted it!

I hadn't thought of that, V - maybe if I collect enough of these, one day... I won't make it another project on my endless list!
Perth probably doesn't want any more jacs...they are terrible water thieves and why we aren't allowed to plant new ones (to add to the millions already here).

Laura Frankstone said...

These are just heavenly, Cathy----the surfaces are so scintillating, with all of those deftly placed splots of color, all working together (instead of flying apart the way that technique can appear done by lesser hands than yours!) to animate the whole composition. Your style is so strong and lyrical and confident.

Gillian said...

I just realised I was looking at the previous post re. the J'bg. skyline in the Jacaranda Time trio.

Helen Percy Lystra said...

I just love looking at them....

Teresa said...

I've really enjoyed your paintings of your town and the colorful Jacaranda trees. Was not familiar with that tree so I looked it up on Wikipedia... it's gorgeous! Re: French/France.... hope I'll make it there one day... but will have to use a language translation book.... after all these years "Voila!" is about the extent of my French too!

prairieknitter01 said...

I will need to look up jacaranda trees, too! If I ever drive down such a lane, I will be sure to slow down and open the windows to hear the pop.

caseytoussaint said...

Wow- such beautiful work. And now I'm absolutely dying to go to Johannesburg. I love your watercolor technique - so clean and full of light.

Cathy Gatland said...

Well, Casey, Teresa and prairieknitter, and to anyone who does plan on visiting Johannesburg - be sure to come in October/November - it can be unifomly brown, beige and dusty, or unrelentingly green, depending what season it is! Thanks for your nice comments.

Anonymous said...

genial!


que cosas reales haces ;)