Almond Promise

I have a lovely childhood memory of climbing in some blossoming almond trees in a vacant block near our place in suburban Forestville. I was enveloped in frothy, papery, pale pink-tinged "whiteness", heady scent of pollen and the hum of bees; knobbly branches and twigs; almond fruit in pale green, felty outer cases, peeling off to reveal the hard, pock - marked shells, housing the nut...It just felt good to be alive that day!

Although you probably can't see much of it, underneath the layers in this artwork there is a faint brown pastel drawing of blossom trees, on rice paper, that I did when we lived in Crafers; a glorious spot overlooking a dam. (I like resurrecting/recycling old works!) I had personified the trees as though they were in a battle, with subsequent tangles. Apparently it is the almond tree which blooms first in the year and therefore "wakes up" early, and the Hebrew word for "watching" means to be "wakeful".

As Spring is heralded by new life from bare branches, so resurrection takes place.I wanted my artwork to embody the image of the almond branch as "a promise "; the word that is carefully "watched over" by God, to fulfilment. (ref. Jeremiah 1; 11)

There is another fascinating biblical almond branch story in Numbers 17; 1-11. This branch had miraculously not only sprouted, but budded, blossomed and produced almonds overnight! Hope for the Spring, and the Summer of fruitfulness.