The change of seasons can be a great inspiration. I love fall weather and see the leaves change color. In Holland you can see the joy of all seasons but when I travel I enjoy the difference in vegetation too. Colors of plants, shapes and leaves, they can be very different from the plants growing in this part of the world.
Last week I came back from a week of traveling on the Canary Islands where I went to see a botanical garden which was created in 1952 by the Swedish Eric Sventenius. His goal was to protect all species of plants from extinction that were growing on this island. Now this great garden has become a great lush place of green. A lush heaven on this dry island of Gran Canaria. When you walk into the garden the first thing you see is a forest of small palm trees that reminded me of juicy pineapples. When you walk further you can see a small pond surrounded by amazing colorful flowers and close to that same pond there is a huge bush of cactus plants that is totally breath taking. This garden is a great mixture of plants and it will take up your entire afternoon to take it all in.
I have this weird thing for cacti and have used this raw dry vegetation as inspiration for my 'raw nature collection' last year. For this collection I have created ink sketches of small insects and desert plants which are available on home deco items, wall art prints, throw pillows and phone accessories and stationary. During this trip I arranged a photo shoot in the garden for one of my Dutch clients. We made a series of portraits with abstract plants and popping colors in the background. It was not hard to make some great shots.
The garden is located in a valley and goes all the way up against a steep hill. The view on top of the garden is gorgeous. If you ever get the chance to travel to Spain, do visit the Canary Islands. You can find this botanical garden, Jardin Canario Viera y Clavijo on the island of Gran Canaria.
Are you already looking for some seasonal presents? Looking for fun Raw Nature christmas gifts? Take a look into the Society6 shop for home decor items and fun art prints with cacti theme or creepy insects pattern. These designs are also available on fabric and wallpaper via Spoonflower. Have fun!
