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| In progress, Flamboyant Avenue. an 11 x 14 original acrylic painting by Mark Phillips |
Summer is my favourite time of the year in Barbados. Between May and September, the Barbados landscape becomes a sea of red as the Flamboyant trees bloom! My job takes me to all eleven parishes and the beauty of the red Flamboyant tree in full bloom always takes my breath away.
This is my first in a series of paintings that I have entitled the "Barbados in Bloom", collection. So far it looks like it will be 10 paintings but that number might increase. I have been taking reference photos from St. Lucy to St. Philip and I have some very interesting scenes to work from. I am really looking forward to working on these over the next few months.
The Flamboyant tree is also known as the Royal Poinciana or Flaming Tree and is very popular in Barbados and across the Caribbean. In addition to its breathtaking beauty, the Flamboyant tree provides excellent shade.
In the Indian state of Kerala, royal poinciana is called kaalvarippoo (കാൽവരിപ്പൂവ്) which means the flower of Calvary. There is a popular belief among Saint Thomas Christians of Kerala that when Jesus was crucified, there was a small royal poinciana tree nearby his Cross. It is believed that the blood of Jesus Christ was shed over the flowers of the tree and this is how the flowers of royal poinciana got a sharp red colour.
"He that planteth a tree is a servant of God, he provideth a kindness for many generations, and faces that he hath not seen shall bless him." - Henry Van Dyke
A few people asked me when will I be having the next giveaway! I must tell you. It was more work than I thought it would have been and I would have to give it some thought. However, I am considering another option. I will let everyone know as soon as I work it out. In the meanwhile, I would appreciate if you will take time out to complete the following survey. It will help me to help you.
As always, thank you for reading. I appreciate the comments and the kind words of encouragement. Until next time when I will share some more of my work and a little about what makes me tick, please leave a comment. And, I will really appreciate if you share this post with your friends. To make sure that you don't miss any future posts, Please enter your email address in the subscribe by email box on the right.
Mark Phillips
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