INSPIRATION FROM NATURE
Art is the application of human skill to produce works appreciated for their beauty or emotional power.
Art can be visual, as in a painting; auditory, as in music; tactile, as in sculpture; and olfactory, as in the blending of perfumes – and nature does all of these perfectly.
Slow down. Take a walk outside. Breathe deeply and look around you – you are walking through the oldest art gallery on earth, which is, funnily enough, the earth itself. Take time to admire the natural art around you: the art of life.
All around the Estate, the landscapes are astounding – the cloud-wreathed mountains, the still reflections in a lake. Even the small elements captivate: a perfect flower, a gnarled vine stem, a colourful autumn leaf. With all these colours and forms – a butterfly in motion or a bird in full breeding plumage – it’s no wonder human artists draw inspiration from nature.
Bird calls dominate the soundscape: the strident cry of the Fish Eagle, or – perhaps less melodious – the squawk of the Hadeda Ibis. In spring, the dawn chorus is just that – a myriad of voices raised in song, accompanied by an orchestra of natural sounds: wind in the trees, the distant laughter of a playing child. This is music no human musician can truly emulate.
Textures surround us: the rough bark of a tree, the silkiness of a rose petal. There is simple joy in the feel of grass under your bare feet, the wind on your skin or hair, the sun warming your face.
The world is a perfumed place. Scents – pleasant or pungent – can spark vivid memories: freshly baked bread, like your grandmother made in her woodstove; newly cut grass, evoking gardens from your past. And who can resist the smell of rain falling on bare soil?
So wander through the gallery that surrounds you and let your senses guide you in exploring the art of living.
