Just back from a number of weeks in Italy. There’s something about travel that makes me see things anew. Whether it’s to the next town or the next continent, I know I’m not alone in that experience, but isn’t it refreshing?
I was entranced by the rows of towering, naked London Plane trees lining the main boulevards all over the city. They’ve been pollarded so many times over the years that they have distinct curvy lumps and bumps where branches have been taken off. And they look so different than when they’re fully dressed in leaf. But then, don’t we all.
The courtyard of the apartment building was filled with towering, 30 foot banana palms, have no idea if they ever fruit, but they lent a cool majesty to the entryway. Was woken several times in the night by the sound of the heavy rains thundering on their wide flat leaves,quite a noise.
As usual I painted what caught my eye, and as usual, it was often what I saw when looking up into trees. Their shapes, the light, the extraordinary colour. You know.
But sometimes it’s something else, like the hooded crows that are generally everywhere in Rome, keeping an eye on things, on you. Vigilant but stand-offish.