During our annual autumn visit to the arboretum, we are captivated by the vibrant display of the Japanese Katsura trees. Their leaves showcase an extraordinary palette of colors, shifting from brilliant apricot yellow to fiery vermillion and deep carmine red. Aware of the fleeting nature of this beauty, we capture it through the lens of a camera, later drawing upon these hues to inspire this composition.

Standing way tall over the flowers on the Summer meadow, the Plume Thistles attract the many insects with their brilliant purple feathered hairs. The vibrant colours are contrasted against the shadowy woods bordering the field.

During a walk through the winter forest, the contrasting colors at ground level appear to amplify each other’s vibrancy.

We notice the vibrant red berries of the viburnum, nestled in the tangled branches of the woody hedgerows.

In the Summer meadows the Burdock plant shows its purple flowers. The green spikes will turn into hard burrs ready to cling to anyone or anything passing by.

The leaves of the exotic trees in the arboretum are transforming from greens to spectacular shades of purple. We notice the Japanese Maple with leaf clusters swaying gracefully in the breeze.

The ancient olive trees on the Greek island stand heavy with fruit. In early September, the olives glow a brilliant green under the Mediterranean sun, though they won’t be ready for harvest until later in the year.

As Summer gives way to the cooler Autumn, the branches of the Cypress trees take on warmer tones.

In the forest the ash trees stand strong against the Summer foliage.

Along the river, the banks are obscured by the profuse growth of reeds and rushes.

On the damp meadow by the river, the stalks of the meadowsweet flowers contrast against the green grasses. The clusters of creamy flowers are ready to burst open in the summer sun.

The low arc motif draws together the contrasting hues found in this flower, relating also to the shape of the rainbow. Iris was the Greek goddess of the rainbow.

Shining through the dark forest of greens and browns we notice the vibrant orange colour that adorns the bark of the beech trees.

In Sri Lanka, we observe the Blue Water Lilies gracefully adorning the shallow waters.

Emerging from their winter seclusion, our exotic Fritillaries unfurl their delicate petals adorned with captivating shades of pink and orange.

The square is divided by a golden rectangle that is occupied by the image of a Vanda Orchid captured amidst the lush scenery of the Kandy, Sri Lanka botanical garden.

The dazzle of flower petals draws us into the display of orchids in the botanical garden in the City of Kandy.

In the dense lush undergrowth of Sri Lanka we spot a contrasting red colour pushing up behind the palm fronds.

With the warm air dense with moisture we enjoy the tropical exotic plants in their natural habitat.

In the garden as Christmas approaches we see the reds and greens in the Winter light.

In our winter garden reds and greens combine to signal the end of the year. Pushing through the shaded borders are leaves; some delicate as paper but others spiked and rubbery, complementing each other through shape and colour.

The Thames rushes through the weir, its paddles fully open.

As hues shift within the Autumn garden, our gaze is drawn to a small emblem of America—the Oregon Grape.

Before the great leaf pickup begins in our garden, the grounded maple leaves form a spectacle of colours; oranges, yellows and browns contrasting against the viridian greens of the cropped grass.

A walk around a Thames side church. Chalk white, flint grey and brick red are the colours that expose this wall to my camera. Sweeps and arcs are blended into the constructed divine rectangles.

Peach coloured lobes and carmine red stigma of the hibiscus flowers reach out towards the Greek island sun.

Along the bank of the river the aster flowers are silhouetted against the rippling flow.

The colour of the Summer grasses range from yellow-ochres to lush, verdant greens and forms a contrasting background to the vibrant purple-pink ragged-crowns of the knapweed that dot the field.

Landscape stones collected by callousted hands are built into rough walls for terracing the slopes.

The sea pounds the shore, tumbling the stones into pebbles of infinitely varied shapes and sizes.

In the warm Mediterranean soil the Pistache grow in abundance. When a branch of the pistachio tree dies back or experiences stress, its leaves often turn a fiery red or orange hue.

Just within the splash zone of the Ionian sea, the lime green of the Samphire contrasts against the grey limestone rocky shore.

Turquoise waters lap the weathered rocks on the Ionian shore. Through the blue transparency the stones on the beach show their textured pinks and pastel shades. Shapes are composed in the golden rectangles and filled with the colours from the focussed view.

Many varieties of wild flowers cover the ungrazed meadow, but noticeable are the lavender coloured Pincushion flowers that are raised above all with their long stems.

The wheat in the field is mature and ready for harvest. The colours of the stalks and ears smell of the bread that will soon be baked from the threshed grains. The camera finds the drooping buff coloured stems above the ochre interior; home to the unseen field mice.

The August rain has painted the garden with glossy colour.

A walk in the park and we are drawn to the purple flowers in the border.

Crops in the fields are bursting with heavy wheat heads.

In this triptych three backgrounds are used as the anchor for the circular forms and arcs that are hosting the chosen images.

The river edge is softened by the reeds that wave with the wind and the current.

Blades of grass form random pencil line texture scribbled in greens.

We waited for the wisteria to come into flower and we were not disappointed.

Under the cerulean sky the wind brushes the barley planted in one field as waves of randomness shimmers over the wild grasses in the next.

Arcs and segments filled with colours of the garden.

In the midst of predominantly grey hues, our eyes perceive skies tinged with a captivating shade of brown.

We are relieved to see most of our garden plants coming back into leaf after a cold and (sometimes) frosty Winter.

Brilliant citrine green of the euphorbia bells can be seen against the mauve thimble shapes of the bluebells.

Rich colours sweep over the garden when we have more daylight hours.

The camera penetrates the tangle of branches before the leaves get their chance. The willow and the dogwood; common in the parks blends the subdued colours of the season’s boundary. The buds and new shoots are just appearing in amongst the random weavings of the branches and with a wide aperture we can blur the palette.

Merton street sett stones caught my eye. I wonder if these came from Chessel Beach.

In the forest some trees are harvested, piled safely and revealing their aged rings.

The winter river is in full flood and the weirs are controlling the torrents as the turbulent waters scour out the sediments. The river is wild and dangerous with fast currents and a surface that mixes the whites of the foam with the greens and greys of the cold winter Thames.

Against the cloudless sky the sun catches the branches of the leafless tree.

Oaks overhang the paths; their leaves have scattered over the ground mixing a rusty colour palette.

Leaves not yet rotted keep their colour on the wet ground. Eyes to the path on the grey day see the rich mixture of tones.

Drops splash the walking path and the blinking eyes are unfocused. The wet asphalt road reflects the house hedges. When the rain comes we don’t hide our heads.

Trees in the arboretum come from many parts of the world and we benefit from the collectors of saplings and seeds.

The trees are showing their fireworks and we blink to find that the trees are bare.

Through shaded branches the red leaves glow against the faded greens. Re-colouring in the cooling winds, the greens turn to burnt orange.

A visit to the maple tree copse with changing colours for the winter coming.

Beach times between swims, the camera captures the sea washing over the pebbles.

A little way back from the waves at the shore, the rocks are hosting colours of the sun.

Sea water colour drifting towards the shore. Ripples far become waves over the floor. Light mixes the blues and greens into turquoise shades and flashes.

On still days the sea at the shore shows through like dimpled glass, the rounded pebbles. The smoothed stones remember the storms that ground away their roughness.

Viewing the Ionian Sea from our beach places. The waves are sometimes still but sometimes confused. The greens of the olive groves and the blue of the sky colour the surface; now poured into the shapes of this geometry construct.

The journey on the river shows the ripples covering the drifting forms.

Traveling the river with views of light and dark water. Ahead of us the sun catches the ripples; waves behind, grow and recede.

Sweeping from sky to land, the hill of meadow flowers meets the blue of sky. Up the walk with rest for breath and closer look, down the view meets the green of trees.

Reeds border the dark bridged river. Willow herb sprinkles the colour for contrast as we sweep past.

Pathways through the colours of farmed fields. Crops are textures of swaying grasses. The air is dusted with scents of earlier planting.

Pool under the windy trees.

The sea shore pebbles and the lapping water. Capturing colours and textures for the curved form. Added structural elements; repositories for the image details and colours that are alluring in the moment.

The wind sweeps over the wheat field showing itself as it strokes the heads.

The wild meadow by the river. The sweeping mixtures of grass meeting the reeds at the waters’ edge. Dark shades mix in with the multitude of greens.

Pads float over surface drawn with lines of reeds. The curving sweep of water grasses light against the drifting deeps. Shapes of colour align with clips of views. Colours chosen to capture the structure.

Tangled leaves show through the shapes and structures.

Short grasses overlaid with shapes of green. Look at these veins in the leaf cropped into the hexagon. The shapes anchor to the centre with balanced structure and shades of green.

• Sky Trees
• Liquid Blue
• Edged Water

• Moor Rush
• Reed Wave
• Water Blue

Bracken brown on the forest floor with last years leaves crunching on the walking ground.

Within a nine sided figure (nonagon) we have 2 images of street asphalt combined with colours.

All those asphalt repairs in the road and on the path - they form interesting geometries themselves, but then I add my own structure and juxtapose the textures with plain colour.

In the rain, we see water on the window and when we go out to the street, the pavements shine in their wetness. The geometry in this image used the hexagon as the basic form and then adds shapes and colours and images taken on some rainy days.

The tide pushes up the beach and covers the sand we remembered. Sea shows the sky colours but sand yellows are still just there between the ripples. The water is lapping gentle waves with light catching the edges.

The boundaries of the water and the bank; the trees, the reeds and the reflections when the water is still.

Corrosion seems like a negative thing; wasting away and dirty. But, actually no; rusted metal is rich in colour and texture and in this image I use some images of rusted chains that I have taken in sea locations.

Trees reaching out to the branches in the sky. We walk with head up noting the contrast between bare branches and sky. Here is a spring day before the leaves come.

The shoreline is a rich observational space for colours and forms.

• The rippling surface
• Reflecting land and sky
• A feather floats

• Yellow flowers in the grass
• Wheat fields for harvest
• Ferns in the forest

• Skyline meets the sea
• Wind waves the water
• Dunes above the rippled sand

• Spring Grasses with yellow
• Dense Greens In woods
• Orange Flowers contrasting with the greens

In a restaurant one evening a bowl of tomatoes on the counter caught my eye and I used this photo together with others that I have taken of berries and other tomatoes to make this geometric collage.

• Ferns and Grasses
• Wheat fields ready for harvest
• Dense pine trees sap smell intense