Welcome to Spring - Photo Style!

School holidays. What's not to love about them. Sleep in's, pyjama time, no routine, my girls. The down side... a lot less art time! I'm nearly, nearly finished a new painting, but didn't quite get it finished for this weeks post. Watch this space. So...welcome to spring...Photo style! Stunning spring. Yep, we are a month in, I know, but its been arriving Oh, so... S.L.O.W.L.Y. The weather patterns are crazy here, there, everywhere. The other side of Australia, in Sydney, has already endured a 39 degree celsius day...in spring? NUTTSO. Here in Perth, we have had constant rain, which is fab, but totally not normal. No complaints, we need every little drop we can get. Our dams have been seriously parched for years. It's been a little gloomy and cool and very unspring like. I had planned some photo sessions these holidays for future paintings, but they just didn't happen and the few photos I did take just haven't made the cut for painting...I think...well, I'm undecided. They work as photos, but I'm really, really fussy about what then goes to paint! Never mind...a long summer is ahead of us. As happens after a long, wet winter, as soon as the sun shows its gentle, spring face, blessing us with brilliant blue skies and the melody of bird life gracing the air, I have my camera at the ready. I managed to grab a few beauties. Like this baby...who was sitting on our back wall. Thank goodness I had my long lens on! A few weeks ago, a huge flock of Carnaby cockatoos graced our suburb. The Carnaby is a threatened, endangered species, endemic to our southwest. It was so great to see such a healthy flock in the suburbs. They were NOISY. Hundreds noisy. Enough for all the neighbours to head outside to view nature welcoming in spring. They decimated the pine trees and Banksia on the street and were quite unafraid of the weird artist lady with the camera, stalking them during their munchies. My garden has flourished with the extra rain. Never before have we had such green lush grass and my daisies have gone crazy! Oh, happy days, to look out the window of my studio, paint brush in hand, and see such perfection. That blue? Yep. Its real. That's Australia's 'true blu', the one we love to sing about. Oh Wisteria! How I heart you. How quickly you leave us with but a memory of your purple dawn. And my lemon tree. Perfection. Her branches barely holding the weight of a bumper crop. The thud of lemons, heavy with juice, falling to rest on the soft grass below. Gifts for our overloaded fruit bowl and grateful neighbours. Gin and Tonic anyone? And what is spring without daisy chains? The girl's and I did a few walks that involved chain making sessions...and photos! Fur child wasn't always cooperative.... Spring involves a lot of love...of these girls... ..and these girls. Wishing you some spring colour...or autumn colour if that's where you are at! Mia x