On the beautiful Greek island of Paxos in the Ionian Sea, Turpentine Trees stand among the olive groves, their branches adorned with brightly coloured berries.
On the Thames lock island, the berberis blazes with midsummer brilliance, its colours at their most vibrant. The crisp arcs and rectangles, in this piece, mirror the reds and greens of the leaves, which gleam in the bright daylight.
In the meadows near the river, the blades of Smooth Brome Grass reveal surprising colours, shifting gently from one hue to another. Their subtle fusions create a soft backdrop against which the arcs of the composition emerge.
In the Oxford Botanical Gardens, the young Buckeye plant displays its striking maroon leaves. As summer unfolds, these rich hues will gradually shift to green. The colours in the arcs and rectangles echo the hues and tones found by the camera’s sensor.
The camera catches the colourful hanging seed pods of the sycamore maple at the edge of the woods. When the winds come later this summer, the seeds will surely helicopter away to find a hopeful germinating place.
On the lock island in the Thames the Burberry is showing the leaves in vibrant reds and greens. The yellow flowers are gradually revealed making it possible for me to develop an exciting palette of colours for the geometric shapes.
In the green houses of the Oxford Botanical Gardens we find glorious colours that inspire composition for this combination of curves, lines and rectangles. The Golden Rectangle its subdivided to provide balance and focus.
The gardens of the King’s Palace in Phnom Penh boast a stunning array of exotic plants, including some native to Cambodia. My attention was immediately captured by the vibrant colors of this particular specimen. Its sweeping, broad leaves seemed perfectly suited for the central panel of a triptych, framed by contrasting, asymmetrical arcs.
During our annual autumn visit to the arboretum, we are captivated by the vibrant display of the Japanese Katsura trees. Their leaves showcase an extraordinary palette of colors, shifting from brilliant apricot yellow to fiery vermillion and deep carmine red. Aware of the fleeting nature of this beauty, we capture it through the lens of a camera, later drawing upon these hues to inspire this composition.
Standing way tall over the flowers on the Summer meadow, the Plume Thistles attract the many insects with their brilliant purple feathered hairs. The vibrant colours are contrasted against the shadowy woods bordering the field.
In the Summer meadows the Burdock plant shows its purple flowers. The green spikes will turn into hard burrs ready to cling to anyone or anything passing by.
The leaves of the exotic trees in the arboretum are transforming from greens to spectacular shades of purple. We notice the Japanese Maple with leaf clusters swaying gracefully in the breeze.
Impressive dry stone walls stretch across this island, in the Ionian sea. Centuries of weathering, shaped by the salt-laden air, have given rise to a vibrant tapestry of lichens. The shades of sienna and yellow ochres, are used within the symmetrical curves of this composition to contrast with the rough stones.
The ancient olive trees on the Greek island stand heavy with fruit. In early September, the olives glow a brilliant green under the Mediterranean sun, though they won’t be ready for harvest until later in the year.
On the damp meadow by the river, the stalks of the meadowsweet flowers contrast against the green grasses. The clusters of creamy flowers are ready to burst open in the summer sun.
The low arc motif draws together the contrasting hues found in this flower, relating also to the shape of the rainbow.
Iris was the Greek goddess of the rainbow.
The square is divided by a golden rectangle that is occupied by the image of a Vanda Orchid captured amidst the lush scenery of the Kandy, Sri Lanka botanical garden.
In our winter garden reds and greens combine to signal the end of the year. Pushing through the shaded borders are leaves; some delicate as paper but others spiked and rubbery, complementing each other through shape and colour.
Before the great leaf pickup begins in our garden, the grounded maple leaves form a spectacle of colours; oranges, yellows and browns contrasting against the viridian greens of the cropped grass.
A walk around Holy Trinity Church, Cookham near the Thames. Chalk white, flint grey and brick red are the colours that expose this wall to my camera. Sweeps and arcs are blended into the constructed divine rectangles.
The colour of the Summer grasses range from yellow-ochres to lush, verdant greens and forms a contrasting background to the vibrant purple-pink ragged-crowns of the knapweed that dot the field.
In the warm Mediterranean soil the Pistache grow in abundance. When a branch of the pistachio tree dies back or experiences stress, its leaves often turn a fiery red or orange hue.
Turquoise waters lap the weathered rocks on the Ionian shore. Through the blue transparency the stones on the beach show their textured pinks and pastel shades. Shapes are composed in the golden rectangles and filled with the colours from the focussed view.
Many varieties of wild flowers cover the ungrazed meadow, but noticeable are the lavender coloured Pincushion flowers that are raised above all with their long stems.
The wheat in the field is mature and ready for harvest. The colours of the stalks and ears smell of the bread that will soon be baked from the threshed grains. The camera finds the drooping buff coloured stems above the ochre interior; home to the unseen field mice.
The camera penetrates the tangle of branches before the leaves get their chance. The willow and the dogwood; common in the parks blends the subdued colours of the season’s boundary. The buds and new shoots are just appearing in amongst the random weavings of the branches and with a wide aperture we can blur the palette.
The winter river is in full flood and the weirs are controlling the torrents as the turbulent waters scour out the sediments. The river is wild and dangerous with fast currents and a surface that mixes the whites of the foam with the greens and greys of the cold winter Thames.
Drops splash the walking path and the blinking eyes are unfocused. The wet asphalt road reflects the house hedges. When the rain comes we don’t hide our heads.
Sea water colour drifting towards the shore. Ripples far become waves over the floor. Light mixes the blues and greens into turquoise shades and flashes.
On still days the sea at the shore shows through like dimpled glass, the rounded pebbles. The smoothed stones remember the storms that ground away their roughness.
Viewing the Ionian Sea from our beach places. The waves are sometimes still but sometimes confused. The greens of the olive groves and the blue of the sky colour the surface; now poured into the shapes of this geometry construct.
Sweeping from sky to land, the hill of meadow flowers meets the blue of sky. Up the walk with rest for breath and closer look, down the view meets the green of trees.
The sea shore pebbles and the lapping water. Capturing colours and textures for the curved form. Added structural elements; repositories for the image details and colours that are alluring in the moment.
Pads float over surface drawn with lines of reeds. The curving sweep of water grasses light against the drifting deeps. Shapes of colour align with clips of views. Colours chosen to capture the structure.
Short grasses overlaid with shapes of green. Look at these veins in the leaf cropped into the hexagon. The shapes anchor to the centre with balanced structure and shades of green.
All those asphalt repairs in the road and on the path - they form interesting geometries themselves, but then I add my own structure and juxtapose the textures with plain colour.
In the rain, we see water on the window and when we go out to the street, the pavements shine in their wetness. The geometry in this image used the hexagon as the basic form and then adds shapes and colours and images taken on some rainy days.
The tide pushes up the beach and covers the sand we remembered. Sea shows the sky colours but sand yellows are still just there between the ripples. The water is lapping gentle waves with light catching the edges.
Corrosion seems like a negative thing; wasting away and dirty. But, actually no; rusted metal is rich in colour and texture and in this image I use some images of rusted chains that I have taken in sea locations.
Trees reaching out to the branches in the sky. We walk with head up noting the contrast between bare branches and sky. Here is a spring day before the leaves come.
In a restaurant one evening a bowl of tomatoes on the counter caught my eye and I used this photo together with others that I have taken of berries and other tomatoes to make this geometric collage.
