Surprise!!!!!!

Last week, I received a lovely belated birthday present from my four wonderful children. They'd commissioned their talented cousin Carmen Hannay to paint what they like to call "mum's tree", my favourite tree which is part of our view at Tarzali, which you can see in the photo at the top of my blog.
Carmen's never been to Tarzali, so her interpretation is purely instinctive, but I love it! I love her whimsical, romantic style and the way the painting captures the misty hills, the changing weather and all the colours I love to use in my interiors. (My photo doesn't really do it justice and I'm hoping to bring you better ones soon.)

Carmen's also a written a poem, inspired while she was in the middle of this painting and it's called "Gentle Annie", the name given to the dip in the hills (also part of our view) that carrries the road to Ravenshoe.

Gentle Annie

She moves

slides through the seasons

lifting layer upon layer

of sifted colour

for a moment she pauses

she breathes

Tip-toeing on crushed hues

dancing under a light only

just present

shedding skins of older days

smiling as she grows

just behind

you there and

she knows...