Daydreams of ease and comfort. The pelican finds a place to survey his kingdom. A full belly and a cool breeze, a place in the sun. Peace and contentment are palpable here for this king of the hill reigns supreme. Be your own king or queen. Own your hill or boulder, even if just for this one moment. The world can be beautiful.
I remember long spring days and warm summer nights riding my bicycle around Austin. It was always a joy to reach the river and feel the cool air on the banks. Maybe dip my toes in for a bit.
Austin has a ton of places to ramble around in, but you will find Arnica always coming back to Zilker Park for the Botanical Gardens. Even midwinter, there are birds, bees, and flowers, oh my!
When asked why she liked the Zilker Botanical Gardens so much, Arnica replied, “the first time Ithe cedar log bridge in the Japanese garden there, I must have been all of about fourteen years old. It was magical, it was marvelous, it was my first love. Rambling in the park found me face to face with the koi in the ponds, their glittery bodies sleekly swimming in the depths. I painted them with the first set of oil paints I had ever owned. It was fulfilling, fun, it was my first time to really see what paint could do for me.
Going back to the park lately, I went to the bridge. I climbed it again, slipping a bit, just as I had the first time. I visited the koi. They are truly monstrous these days, as large as my legs, boiling and roiling under the surface of the water, looking for the food the groundskeeper surely throws into the pond for them.
It was glorious, I am glad to have lived a life in the arts. I made a painting of the koi again, couldn’t help it really.”
So, if you keep your eyes peeled, you might run into Arnica rambling through the gardens again this springtime. A recent joiner to the Plein Air Austin organization, she says she hopes to enjoy their monthly meetups.
You can check out Plein Air Austin at this link: