Naiouli in Blue

The beautiful wetlands and bush of Lake Claremont are a favourite walking area for me. Like many other urbanites, I find refuge under the shady trees, appreciating the distinctive smells and colours of the native Australian plants and listening to the birds weaving and calling across the water.
The melaleuca tree depicted in this painting stood tall next to the footpath that winds around the lake. Covered in shaggy white blossoms, the tree was a magnet for ants, birds and droning insects, a veritable supermarket for native fauna, gracious in its abundance. I marvelled at it, mistaking it for a callistemon (bottlebrush) but noting its fine, papery bark. Later at home, I googled until I found it… Melaleuca quinquenervia, also known as Naiouli, an essential oil I love with an earthy, sharp aroma. This tree was new to me but simultaneously familiar. I felt like I had discovered a friend.