Buderim’s Last Blooms

The final Poinciana flowers of the season have been captured in a larger than life painting by a local artist.
Buderim’s Sussanne Morton has spent the last few weeks busily searching for the perfect blooms to appear in her painting, which is a tribute to Buderim’s favourite tree.

“I have been driving around Buderim, picking flowers from the overhanging canopy”, she said. “I was away in Sydney for a couple of weeks and anxious to get back before I missed last Poinciana blooms of the season”.

Ms Morton’s striking work is one of a number of large paintings she has completed that take a very close up look at the flowers. Ms Morton also paints tropical flowers, roses, lilies and other popular flowers in bloom and she hopes to paint many more pieces throughout the year before holding a solo exhibition.

Ms Morton said she loves the visual impact of bringing detail not normally noticed, into full view through larger works.

“I’d never looked at a Poinciana so close before, and was amazed at the detail in the design of each petal.”
Ms Morton’s works are exclusively displayed at Art Nuvo on Burnett Street.

My Inspiration

A local artist puts her case for keeping Buderim’s Poincianas . . .

I am an artist living in Buderim, having moved here three years ago. I have always been drawn to this place, this little garden heaven on the hill above the coast. Buderim is such a beautiful little town with a special history, stories and culture, striking views, gardens and wildlife – even a waterfall.

The climate is wonderful and healthy; it is always green up here and the flowers are a delight. Buderim really is a little garden heaven. The streets are lined with majestic trees such as the Poinciana and these trees are full of stories – they have “seen” years of precious moments. Their green leafy fronds caress the breezes as they whisper secrets and stories of old to the wind. If only we could hear them tell their tales. These trees have brighten and lifted the spirits of all who have driven or strolled beneath their glorious red blossoms on a summer’s morning, or a late afternoon when the gold of the sunset gives their flowers such a brilliant orange glow.

The sprawling branches and gnarled, twisted old trunks, which are covered in lichens, look like fantastic sculptures against the sky on any day. At night they line the streets and stand guard like protective giants. When it rains they offer shelter. When the sun is too hot they offer shade for the lady with her newborn in a pram.

They inspire the artists and poets, the writers and musicians, and welcome us home with open outstretched arms. Why destroy something so beautiful - the very thing that makes Buderim one of the best places to live in the world. How could anyone even contemplate such a thing? They are part of our sanctuary and give our little town a wonderful exotic feel. Yes, trees need maintenance, like everything in our lives, but that is no reason to go eradicating a Buderim icon – we need beauty around us in a sometimes harsh world.

Last year I was struggling with a few problems in my life, but these trees and their blossoms brought me so much joy as I ran around photographing them for my next series of paintings. I was as though I was taking a natural antidepressant! Painting them was even more wonderful, I had snapped out of my depressed state and focused on something beautiful. I was so amazed when I studied a blossom up close; I had to capture this on a large canvas.

How would this little heaven look without our Poinciana trees? Imagine the bare, boring, depressing streets. No canopy of lacy leaves and blossoms or large boughs reaching out to you like big understanding arms. If the trees are removed, I wouldn't want to live here. The Poinciana trees are what drew me to this place.

 

Blooming Lovely Art

Buderim artist draws on a strong connection with nature.

If you have a blooming garden and you live in Buderim, chances are you may have seen Sussanne Morton peering over your fence in the past. Sussanne specialises in flora and underwater life, drawing on the strong connection with nature that was forged when she first moved to Australia at age six. "As a child we lived in places with amazing gardens," Sussanne said.

After moving to the border ranges of Queensland and New South Wales aptly called "Lost World", she discovered a fascination with the play of sunlight and shadow on natural objects. In this little paradise, Sussanne's love of art, coupled with her ability to create masterpieces with natural elements such as berries, leaves and burnt charcoal, fuelled her ability to channel nature's inspiration. Her move to Buderim four years ago saw her inspirational cup overflow from the stimulus of so many flowering gardens in the beautiful town of Buderim. Sussanne said it wasn't uncommon for her to take her camera for a drive, or walk around Buderim in search of plenty of blooming flowers every season.

For anyone painting she will take around 400 photos and print out between 30 to 40 in order to accurately get the light looking right on each flower. Sussanne also enjoys painting underwater scenes, as diving is a favourite pastime. "There's a real dimension under water and I love how the sunlight does things to the colours on flower petals" she said.

Sussanne is one of the artists exhibiting in Art Nuvo's Primed Discover Local Art Exhibition, the first for their new location in Gloucester Road. Art Nuvo Gallery curator Andrew Banks said the new location has added a new dimension to the gallery. "It's in a nice leafy avenue, which is more of a destination point for people all over the Coast," Andrew said. "It's a pleasure to be surrounded by all these works."