What an inspiring day we had yesterday, spent with friends walking around Queen's Park Gardens during this year's Toowoomba Flower Festival! After the long drive through drought-stricken country, it was so refreshing to see the vibrant displays of flowers which seemed to hold the promise that the rains will come and everything will be lush and verdant again. I loved all of the imaginative displays but particular favourites of mine were the spires of hollyhocks, delphiniums and foxgloves. There were some very dramatic colour combinations. Massed plantings of jet black pansies setting off bright yellow ones reminded me of how rich darks can really make whites and pastels explode off the page in a watercolour. So today I was back in the studio doing some more experimental floral paintings. Here is one of the results - white hollyhocks against the suggestion of dark foliage. I hope you like them.
