SPRING'S VIVID AWAKENING - My contribution to a Facebook group of artists and crafters for our m
Above: Flic en Flac Beach outside the Hilton Mauritius with frangipani trees in full bloom
A cold bleak winter gives way to the warm touches of sunlight and longer days ... suddenly the world is an entirely different and welcoming place...
Little pockets of beauty burst forth in the most unexpected of places –
Amid icy grey cliff-faces, tenacious clumps of Edelweiss cling to their granite host where only a teaspoon of soil can be found in those long deep fissures and jagged niches – how on earth can that small token of nourishment be enough to sustain this new life – and yet somehow it is...
A resolute pocket of hardy wildflowers in all shapes and colours poke a blaze of heads through a fallen log in a deep dark forest, where only small splashes of dappled sunshine filters through that deep green canopy overhead...
Adorning the tops of the final resting places of beloved folk who once walked this earth, vases of lovingly picked lilies and roses create a rich tapestry symbolising the story that was once their lives...
Above: A well tended graveyard in Menaggio on the banks of Lake Como, Italy
On a windswept cliff-top with waves pounding against the jagged rock formations below, a cheerful flurry of colour with deep yellow centres stand strong and determined in that powerful buffeting wind...
In a green grassy meadow with the footfall of milking cows brushing against their delicate bright petals, the heads of dandelions nod back and forth as though greeting these big furry monsters to a new dawn...
Across a vast white alpine slope framed with spruce, dainty snowdrops shoots push similar white buds through the melting snow, happy to know their former cold home is now giving sustenance to the awakening earth below...
From a tropical Pacific island paradise, lacy hibiscus petals and waxy frangipani heads watch another lapping wave roll in with its frilly white petticoat setting off that aqua blue expanse...
Along the streetscapes of every city, town and village – tiny buds poke through cracks in the pavement, while others, now in full bloom, surround a stately old tree trunk like nature's necklace – this new explosion of life wave their leafy stems to welcome passersby...
A few cheeky little splashes of every hue peer down on these same roadways from the gutters, iron cladding, thatch or tiled rooftops of the houses and buildings lining each one – blown there on an autumn breeze when summer's sun has frizzled the original parent plant into simply a clump of seeds...
In the cool shade of a terrace, veranda or balcony, a host of fragrant blossoms poke their stems through the rich soil contained in all shapes and sizes of pots, while the relaxing lull of easy conversation and the staccato of china cups hitting saucers keep them company...
Thick stalks of mottled colour sway in the breeze as heritage plants stand tall and proud in the acres of stately garden beds found in mansions and chateaus of the well-to-do neighbourhoods found all around the world...
While in quaint little cottage gardens no bigger than handkerchiefs, a sudden splash of beauty draws the eyes of every traveller on their way to another destination...
Vivid tulip cups in a sea of green show off all their glory in a pocket-sized square of serenity in NYC's bustling metropolis, where towering skyscrapers steal their sunlight and formidable brownstones encroach on their root space as tiny tendrils seek out any form of nourishment under the austere brick boundary walls...
Above: A tiny pocket garden discovered while wandering the streets of Hell's Kitchen, NYC
In all forms of magnificent public gardens where both tourists and residents intermingle, a spectacular array of every species imaginable eases weary souls with a peaceful interlude as they wander down winding paths lined with all the colours of the rainbow...
And lastly, standing proudly on easels, sewing tables, work benches and the laps of artisans are other creative pieces, formed during dozens of hours spent toiling over these beautiful creations to meet another artistic challenge ... each one a delicate and masterful duplication of the Master Creator's magnificent works of art.
