Pears, nectarines and Frangipani.

Pears, Nectarines, Frangipani
Acrylic on Canvas 30 x 40cm

In summer at least two pictures of fruit and flowers seem to paint themselves. They happen in response to the abundance of fruit at this time of year.

This second one was more painterly than the first and the only bit that was difficult was deciding the colour of the wall. Cream looked washed out so I painted the wall blue.

I painted this in December and the pears are still sitting on the shelf. It is remarkable how long they last. I wonder what chemicals have been used to stop them rotting? Makes you wonder.

Pears and Frangipani revisited

My pears and Frangipani picture has been undergoing a transformation. Five year old Sophia said the pears look as if they are made of plastic and I had to admit she had a point.

I painted them over, added a fancy bit of woodwork from the sideboard, changed the background, then changed it again. The picture transformed every time I passed it but still I didn't like it.
At one point I scrubbed it right back again with a big scrubbing brush and running water.

Then finally I removed the background altogether and added two more pears.

Pears and Frangipani ... current version

Watching sunflowers grow

December

January

I planted some sunflowers in front of the garage as a 'Blickfang' (eye-catcher) this spring and they have grown beyond my expectations.  When I went to Hobart in November they were still a few inches tall. On my return after four days, they had doubled in size. It has been a pleasure to watch them grow tall then even taller. Then they flowered and their yellow disk flowers followed the sun as it passed overhead.
 

Setting seed

Now they grow bulbous, more bulbous every day. You can almost see the seeds growing inside them.   The flowers are too heavy to follow the sun now, looking east all day instead.

If you ever want to observe flowers through their stages, plant them in front of your breakfast window.

One week on (16 January) seeds are setting and the flowers bow their weighty heads.  Then the cockatoos discover them ...

Cockatoos discover sunflowers

The seeds are yet unripe but the cockies don't care and would just destroy the plants then leave.  So I chase them off and bag the heads.

to be continued ... 

Bagged sunflower heads