We always look forward to July, when this amasing tree is covered in cascading yellow blossom... it reminds me of "Broom", but that I remember as a bush growing up on the cliffs by the sea... I have never before seen it as such a large tree... its really beautiful just now.

Monday

I have been watching each day as this tree slowly turned from pale greens to brilliant yellow...
 this morning it was just so beautiful... I opened the back door to see cascades of yellow blossoms almost down to the ground...

Friday

Pyfleet Races : oil on canvas : c Janet Driver

Sunday 14th June

a rose from our garden

Monday : daily picture

oil on canvas, Janet Driver

Some years ago I sat down for a moment in a tropical butterfly greenhouse.
My entrance had clearly disturbed the butterflies who were flitting all around me...
...so I sat very still, allowing us all to calm down...

then

... I saw this small flower,

hanging
 way above me,

 turning slowly in the humid air...

beckoning me

...as I began to sketch these beautiful, simple shapes...

towards

“...the still point of the turning world... “

... a memory of T.S.Eliot’s Four Quartets

Thursday : daily picture

walking down the garden to give my shed / studio a coat of dark green paint l just had to stop and take these photos of beautiful deep pink flowers opening up in the sunshine...

Shades of Spring Colour

What colour do you associate with Spring ?

Yellow ?    

I painted this group of trees with gnarled old branches, grey and empty

and yet the sun was lighting upon the small new sapling in front

full of bright young leaves

and then the distant leaves on the older trees lit up against their greying branches

giving the impression of feathery yellow puffs bringing new life....

then today I noticed such different shades of yellow in crowds of primroses under shady trees

and then the brilliance of a tiny coltsfoot, originally from the Isle of Wight chalk downs near the Needles, and now almost hidden in my garden but definately making its presence felt through that glowing depth of colour...

 and the glorious yellows of daffodils with sunlight flooding through the window

but I was surprised how many shades of purple I found today

and among the leaves just emerging...two other hidden surprises

both enjoying the sunshine !

...oooh just look at those shades of green.....

what is your favorite colour this spring ???