For Artists Who Love the Outdoors

Low Season (2022)                                                 
                                                                                 Low Season 2 (2025)

This is the same type of plant which I’ve painted with watercolours on two occasions now. The plant is an invasive species which I think comes from east Asia. It is growing well in a park near our home, and my interest in it comes after the first frost,when the leaves curl and die before winter.’Low Season’ was painted in 2022 and ‘Low Season 2’ in November 2025. With the first one, we had a lighter frost, so the results on the invasive plant were quite beautiful, and caught my eye immediately. It was a later , more damaging frost this year, and I saw more of the structure of the plant itself this time. Having painted this foreign plant twice now, I have taken an interest in it. How did it come here, on someone’s clothing, on a shoe or boot, or backpack? I am sure it wasn’t brought  intentionally, but now that it’s here, will it thrive? Will it begin to take over the park? It’s been here for 3 years at least and I have to admit, I didn’t pay attention to it  during its growing season. It fit into the landscape so easily, I wasn’t aware of its presence. Only after the frosts, did I see it clearly and then I was interested in its geometric shape and frost tones and immediate response to the killing frost. ‘Low Season 2’ explores the angularity of the dying plant, the tight curves and lines and angles of the leaves bunched up in a kind of geometrical structure.

I spend a lot of time in our local parks over the seasons and paint what captures my eye as we walk along. Mostly, my attention is the same as other artists, so I paint landscapes, and trees, flowers, clouds,and leaves. But these two paintings are quite different. They have within them, a kind of awakening, an interest that is more botanical. I can’t say whether I’ll continue my artistic study of this as yet nameless plant, but it has been quite intriguing so far.

Let me know if this study has intrude you as well,and if you’ve encountered this invasive species.

Peter