Pride of Madeira
Posted: April 23, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized 6 CommentsIf you like spring flowers, April is the right time to visit Carmel-by-the-Sea. Calla lilies grow like weeds, the pink flowers of hardy ice plants are blooming all over the coast, and the conical purple spikes of Pride of Madeira cover landscaped beds as well as wild hillsides. I had never seen these shrubs before so I took a photo of one of the plants and posted it on Instagram with the question: does anyone know what these are? Of course many of my California friends responded because, besides being a native of the island of Madeira, the only other place where this plant is abundant is in coastal California. I thought I might not have a chance to paint the tall purple spikes, but I found a little time for this demo on the last day of my Carmel workshop. Painted on a pad of Arches CP paper, in the company of many bees, a ruby-throated (maybe) hummingbird, and a wonderful group of students.
Lovely and lively. I especially like the way the bottom and right side edges add an asymmetry. I am not familiar with that flower either.
I’ve been lucky to have visited Carmel a few times, but never in the spring. Thanks for sharing the beautiful purple flowers! What a lucky group of students.
You leave me in awe with your painting—especially the flowers! (And the water, and the lettering and, and—-AND…!)
Love those flowers and the way you painted them. The hummingbird was most probably an Anna’s Hummingbird. My husband took a lot of photos of that hummingbird by the Pride of Madeira.
Oh so beautiful, Shari! I could almost hear the buzzing of the little hummingbird’s wings… or was that the crashing of the ocean waves LOL In any event, GORGEOUS ❤️
Oooh…I love this one! Great colors!! At one time when I was teaching I spent a lot of my spring breaks out in California. My sister lived in Ramona (up in the hills) and then in San Diego for a long time. I would visit her and her family almost every Easter. Thanks for bringing back some fond memories of these flowers and mentioning the pink ice plants that were everywhere by the beach. Now I’m visiting vicariously through your trips out there.