First pick

Severe rain events brought regular and prolonged disastrous flooding to East Coast regions of Australia during 2022. The recent double La Niña looks like going another round.
Living in North Queensland we brace for seasonal weather impacts. However, in 2021-22 we have been treated kindlier. We experienced rain events like elsewhere but not catastrophic like our cyclones can be.
An old mandarin tree in the yard has barely fruited for a decade. Crops have been sparse and fit only for the hungriest of bats and birds.
In June 2022 the tree became remarkably vigorous, laden branches looking like a rare Medieval manuscript illumination depicting botanical abundance. Maybe this resulted from the extended wet?
As I enjoyed the succulence of the first pick, I resolved to celebrate the experience in paint; chose an Arches extra fine sheet stashed away for a rainy day, selected fine pigments, and produced my largest watercolour to date.

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Ashley Holmes presents new watercolour paintings and other works from a back catalogue that reflect his affinity with the luxuriant tropical environment he cherishes. These are selected especially for Bluethumb.
Ashley has worked across a diverse range of visual art forms including photomedia—especially composites, including architectural-scale works for public spaces. His practice includes time-based projection, sculptural installation, interactive and internet art.
Increasingly these days, Ashley is attracted back to the perceptual immediacy and tactility of drawing and painting. He considers himself a neo-romanticist and an optimist and this shows in his choice of subject matter and creative expression. He participates in exhibitions and events that promote environmental awareness.