Category Archives: Dialogue with Nature

Flowers in the hair, flowers in the air

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cerise

draft

the draft

 

I love when people wear flowers in their hair. It always remains me Aung San Suu Kyi, who is a woman who has fought for the democracy in Burma and who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.

flower

the final.

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Aung San Suu Kyi

Wearing flowers in my hair remains me my mother as well. ♥

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Aung San Suu Kyi

For the anecdote:

Last week, on the way between the post office and home, I picked some flowers which have fallen on the ground. When I came home, I asked one of my housemate to help me with taking an artistic picture. My original idea was just to take a picture of the flowers resting in my hands, as you can see below. By the way, my glittering nail polish is an intended part of the artistic installation. The golden glitters represent the stars and the Universe and the eternity while we can say that the flowers symbolise the ephemeral aspect of the life…

I am kidding of course. There was a bargain on bad taste nail polish at Big W. 😀

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Anyway, when I asked my housemate, he told me “yeah sure. Do you want me to take a picture of you while you are throwing the flowers in the air?” Regarding my initial idea and the fact that he is like.. the engineer of the house who is not really interested on Arts, I was really surprised that he came out with this idea. Actually I couldn’t stop laughing, because I was picturing the scene in my head.

But then, I thought that the idea of falling flowers was poetic somehow. So we tried to take a picture of this and it has been, I think we can say it, an epic fail. 😀

20160103_120109Hahaha.

I think the worse is that we can see his feet on the right and a little bit of my foot on the bottom.

Love From the Royal Botanic Gardens

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Lower Gardens

This drawing has been made 2 months ago. I remember, I was just finishing my *hardcore* midterms. I was SO relieve but ABSOLUTELY exhausted as well.

So I went for the first time to the Royal Botanic Garden of Sydney 2 months ago. First time in 4 months, shame on meee I knowww!! But in my defence, we tried to go once before that, but they didn’t let us in because we were on rollerblades. Indeed, any roll skate, skate, bikes, drones, jetpack etc. are prohibited into the Gardens. Aussies are super relaxed in general but paradoxically, they have sometimes some really strict rules. Some of them are even stricter than in Switzerland. I never would have thought that possible (speaking among democratic countries of course) (I love you Switzerland, but I know you know it is true..). For example, if you usually smoke, in Australia, you can say bye-bye to your cigarette after lunch in terrace, or at the bus stop or even on campus (plus the fact that one packet costs 20 bucks).. Another rules is that in some parks you can’t do skateboard. Finally a legend urban says that you won’t be accepted you into a nightclub if you’re wearing Nike (but Adidas seem okay). Somebody told me that it was like a tacit rule. Not sure if my source is reliable though 😉 I have probably been naïve enough to believe rubbish. AGAIN.

Anyway, this time I went to the Royal National Garden, armed with my pair of converse, my watercolour kit and my brush.

“The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney is a major botanical garden located in the heart of Sydney, Australia. Opened in 1816, the garden is the oldest scientific institution in Australia and one of the most important historic botanical institutions in the world. It is open every day of the year and access is free. Its stunning position on Sydney Harbour and immediately adjacent to the Sydney CBD, the Sydney Opera House and the large public parklands of The Domain ensure it is one of the most visited attractions in Sydney.” (Wikipedia)

To no one’s surprise, I have been delighted. That’s why I have been back to the Royal Garden several times since. Now, it has no more secrets for me.

Or maybe not any secrets at all, but let’s say fewer secrets than before.

This park is so big: more than 30 hectares into the city center! After the Australian Times Square, we have our local Central Park 😉 The vegetation is incredibly lush and diversified. So green, so living and so wild somehow. There so many things to do. As a good tourist guide (LOL) I am willing to give you some ideas (if you decide to visit me one day) (After consideration, please don’t come, I am busy) (no, I am kidding, I would love you to come but.. not 2 months) (two weeks would be perfect! )

ANYWAY, IF ONE DAY YOU COME:

  • You and I could take a break and observe the fish swimming in the pond. I swear that some of them are able to fly. Mariiiine tell them that is it true!!
  • Then we could walk slowly through the Palace Gardens, especially through the Rainforest Walk and the Rose Garden and smell the flowers (how romantic).
  • Or you could play guitar (if you can play) near the Oriental Garden and I would listen to it, and try to sing. Especially if you play Celine Dion. Nana come!
  • Or we could run along the ocean, into the Lower Gardens. We could run with the view on the Opera house and listen to some soundtrack of our life. (and try to imagine that our life is an American movie. or not).
  • We could take a nap under the shade of a centenary and comforting tree. And then we could give it a hug and thank it (it is the Schneider’s touch 😉
  • We could sit on a bench in front of the red tree and have chitchat. Actually, that was kind of my first meeting with a red tree, before Bali.

Or… we can lie down on the grass and draw for hours in the sun without cap and forget to hydrate ourselves because we are into the flow and finally get an insolation. \0/
That sounds great! I am sure that you are dying to visit me now! I am proud to say that it is virtually what happened to me. More than getting sunburn, I felt super dizzy until the day after. But I really like this drawing, for some reasons so don’t regret anything. (tough girl)

Ahh..hard life for un artiste du dimanche (or you could say “for a spare-time painter” but is it funnier in French).

I hope you enjoyed my professional guided tour!

Have a lovely Sunday. ♪♫

Elsa

PS : Today, it is been exactly 6 months that I left my beautiful France and my beautiful Switzerland! And I am still alive! Amen!

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Have you paid attention to my feet, at the bottom of the drawing?(I think I did it well haha) You can click on the picture if you want to see details. 😉

Have you paid attention to the “5arbores” label which is actually in front of 5 trees?
To the 4 trees of my life: Love from the Royal Botanic Garden ♥

Red Trees & Stuff

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RED TREE : MICROCOSM

I told you that I have been really inspired by flowers in Bali.

Actually, the flower that I am holding, it is kind of the micro view of one of this gorgeous red tree:

RED_TREE_MICRO

And the picture taken at Uluwatu Temple which has inspired the drawing above : RED TREE : MACROCOSM (?)

Even if I studied Geography (Hell yeah!) I still get confused with macro or micro view concept. The same with small scale versus large scale. Back in University of Lausanne, I used to remember that what they is called the small scale was actually the reverse of what I thought (which I guessed being as the common sense ). But remembering that the right answer is the exact opposite of what I think, is not a very pleasant way of learning. Therefore, I had to to go back to the roots of the problem.

“In other words, they show large areas of land on a small space. They are called small scale because the representative fraction is relatively small. Large scale maps show smaller areas in more detail, such as county maps or town plans might.” (wiki)

Is it any clearer now ?

In a nutshell, I wanted to explain that the red flower was the foundation of the giant red tree. If you like, the red flower could be for the tree what the cell is for the body. The microcosm and macrocosm…. ANYWAY, you understand why I needed the idea of macrocosm and microcosm for. I read this article but I am not still one hundred per cent sure that I understood. Some help from sociologists/physicians would be welcome ! 😀

Red_tree

RED TREE : MACROCOSM

Changing the subject, on the first drawing, tied around my wrist you can see a red bracelet. A friend of mine told me that, according a popular belief in China, the year you are supposed to turn 24, either something very good or very bad can happen to you. She also told me that throughout this famous year, in order to protect you and to give you luck, you’re always supposed to wear something red.

I decided that the notion of wearing red for luck didn’t have to be only for my 24th spring (since it is not planned not for 2016.. a priori though 😉

What is cool with the mix of cultures is that you can inspire you from other cultures, you can pick, borrow and adapt what you like and leave the rest. Eventually, by meeting other people from other culture, you can create and embody your own home-made culture and belief and value system.

I did not intend to speak about that today but *sigh* what can I say.. life ?

(my brain hurts now)

An overview of Bali

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Bali

Well, I am about to have three different Christmas (lucky me), so I am kind of busy with food recipes and kitch decoration (I love decoration).

But I just wanted to say that Bali has been a beautiful trip. This island is so inspiring that I couldn’t stop drawing there.

As I wrote to my Family from Melbourne (I have family in Melbourne ! World is small !) :

“Bali has a rich and enriching culture. I really appreciated all the flower offerings and temples, the Balinese are very kind and smiley and above all the landscapes are breathtaking (unfortunately, the island is quite polluted though..)

Anyway, now that I am back, I take some time to integrate that I saw. “

And I take the time to quietly complete my drawings.

‘Can’t wait to show you !

Special thanks to my fellow travellers: Julia & Lera. You made my trip.  ♥

PS: The drawing takes place into the Botanic Garden Eka Karya Botanic Garden. Actually it was raining like crazy when we got there..but sometimes, I confess, I cheat. That is what is cool with drawing : I can embellish reality. I don’t even feel guilty about it.

Why I Chose Australia

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By the time you read this post, hopefully I will already be gone (to Bali, as a reminder). \0/

It is my compensation for not seeing my dear parents and sisters and friends for Christmas.

“I try not to miss a sunset here”

After all, I think that I chose to go to Australia for its vegetation and its sky. I am not disappointed I must say.

Here is a song for travelling :

 

The Garden of Stones – Part one

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At Macquarie University, there is what they call a Sculpture Park. I call it personally the Garden of Stones.

It is like an impressive amount of sculptures and stones dispersed throughout the campus.

THAT IS SO COOOL !!! Sometimes, when I had the time, before my IT& Society workshop, I used to eat on one of the stone, under giant trees and in front of a enigmatic sculpture. It is a sanctuary somehow.

On the drawing above, you can see an interpretation of a “Statue menhir” (called “la Dame de Saint-Sernin). It comes from Saint-Sernin-sur-Rance (haha) and is dated from the later European Neolithic.

That was the general culture minute. I am not sure I can make this joke in English though. 

Anyway, I certainly did not see Mrs.Saint-Sernin into the Garden of Stones in Australia but last week, I received an adorable postcard with this statue on it, which has reminded me one of the sculpture so I have established a link between. 🙂

“The Sculpture Park is a ‘space of possibilities’, where the environment and people interconnect through a process of discovery, enjoyment and learning. It also allows for social interaction where collective interpretation and reflection can be shared. The Sculpture Park’s significance is globally recognised by the International Directory of Sculpture Parks, and was listed by Best Value Schools as one of the 25 most amazing sculpture gardens in the world.“

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My beloved University

PS2 : still have problems with the use of present perfect vs past simple.