This Is One of My Favourite Things To Do

Lying under a tree and looking up at the sky.

Does anybody else love to do this?

So that you can enjoy experience along with me, I thought I'd share the very tree I was lucky enough to lie under for a very enjoyable and relaxing 30 seconds, just this past Sunday at Shorncliffe, Queensland.

Ah, now isn't that relaxing? Just look at the vista before us: Dabs of yellow, green and blue forming delicate and seemingly never ending patterns; Twisting and turning branches reaching gently outward and toward the sky; Dappled sunlight gently lighting and shading the forms below; Dodgy looking guy in the background drinking from a dodgy bottle...   Yes indeed, I sure know how to pick my trees!

You may be wondering, "Kate, why only 30 seconds to lie there and look at the sky?"

Well, with three boys, a husband and the lure of the beach cajoling, "Come, Children!  Come and play!  Come and accidentally kick sand in Mummy's eyes!" just metres away, I never stood a chance to lie there any longer.  Despite the short time-frame, I found the experience so captivating that when I returned home later that afternoon, I thought I'd try and capture its essence in this painting:



































For those who may be interested, the featured tree is a Moreton Bay Fig Tree. When the photograph it or paint it, people generally focus on the huge and knotty trunk and roots of this tree, but I wanted to capture the gorgeous leaves and the dappled light (for no other reason than 'cause I like to be different).

Today's painting is probably only a quarter complete, so you'll have to stay tuned  to see how it progresses.  However, so far, I'm relatively happy with how it is turning out.

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what I've been up to, I'll be sure to see you soon,

Kate
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