Jacaranda Spring
80 x 80 x 4 cm | Acrylic on cradled ply panel, framed
Part of my A Sense of Self series, this still life reflects how everyday objects can hold deep emotion and connection, becoming physical embodiments of identity. They carry the stories of lives lived in other places and times — telling us who we were, who we are, and where we have been.
I’ve always loved jacarandas and planted many over the years. My connection to them goes back to the early 1990s, when my husband David’s first architectural job in Bermuda was for clients who owned a house called Jacaranda. At the time, only two jacaranda trees grew on the island — one at Orange Grove in Smith’s, where our friend Sara lived, and the other at the client’s home. Those trees hold memories of our early married life, visiting friends, and winding drives up Knapton Hill.
Now, living in South East Queensland, jacaranda season brings the promise of summer — the soft, spectacular purple rain of a Brisbane spring.