This thread is not a challenge in the sense that doesn't have a deadline, rather an invitation to visit sites and topics on the art of gardens, their history, architecture, style in different cultures.When we say paradise we think of the garden of Eden or just a beautiful place with or without a religious connotation.Did you know that the word paradise entered the European languages through the Greek "paradisos" being actually a translation of the persian term for garden "pairidaeza"?!I will take you on a virtual tour of gardens in different cultures. From Babylon and China, Japan, Islamic Persia, Andalusia, Spain, Mughal India, Renaissance Italy, Western Europe and finally to my patio flowers.

the hanging gardens of babylon or semiramis

traditional chinese gardens

chinese gardens

japanese gardens

Overview of Islamic Gardens: PERSIA

Overview of Islamic Gardens: MUSLIM SPAIN



patios en seville, spain (my website)



gardens of the mughal empire

renaissance gardens (from the work of artist and Architect Leon Battista Alberti)

gardens of western europe

To illustrate this topic and also invite you to draw some beautiful garden architecture themes I have these pics from my trip to Andalucia, Spain.

Granada

alhambra palace
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patio de los leones(Lions courtyard)

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view of alhambra from an islamic center in Albaicin.
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Seville
view of the orange tree courtyard
patio de los naranjos
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and from my patio

a variety of clover(trifolium) Click to view attachment

and a bromeliad Click to view attachment


enjoy!

what beautifull gardens... wow
I love orientel gardens, but the closest I got to one was in EXPO 98 witch was hold in Lisbon here in Portugal, they always have such nice ponds and streems, and flowting flowers, I think they are lovely.

Very nice photos you have here, and your own garden must also be lovely

Initially I thought of challenging you with my garden flowers, but then I thought some garden art and architecture is far more interesting to draw than just flowers.For the orientals, Clara gardening is an art not just digging holes for trees or flowerbeds.They developed this art throughout milennia and the west just borrowed from them, later modifying and adapting to local tastes. I forgot to tell that we speak here of ornamental gardens, those designed for pleasure and recreation.

they are all so lovely..i think i like alahambra the best...

Thank you Clara and Kay. This geometric islamic art is ideal for perspective drawing and also proportions.I tried the Alhambra first pic and my husband looked at it with an architect eye and told me it was off proportions. So now I need to do it again and I will post the two versions before and after.

Elena, thank you so much for the time and effort you put into getting this information together to share with us. I spent so much time on the hanging gardens, my dear husband had to blink the lights to remind me it was bedtime! tomorrow I plan on taking a leisurely look at all the sites you listed. Thank you again for taking the time to educate us. I am really enjoying this.

Trish

Trish you are very welcome; it is my pleasure to share things that i enjoy and find fascinating on an art site with so many wonderful people who have in interest in art and culture.

Fabulous photos & such a selection to choose from. You pick great objects and scenes Elena!

thanks, Sue. it's a shame that nobody feels tempted to try drawing them so far.

here is my quick sketch, no ruler, no pencil measuring, no horizon line, just my eye.

Great sketch Elena.

I have been finishing up a swap - will try one of these soon.

thanks, Sue

Just great Elena.
I too will try one very soon. Your photos are lovely.

Thanks Tammy.I am glad you like my pics even if the camera wasn't great at the time it was the cheapest digital, that was in 2003.

Hi Elena,

I too, like gardens a lot. I also do some gardening myself, in the short period of summer that we have (and this year is awful...). I just saw an article on a new book and it made me think of this thread:

les 1001 jardins qu'il faut avoir vus dans sa vie, Trecarré éditions.

Bye

merci, Nathalie. Do you have any details on this book?

i am trying to do the broliad plant in aquarelle today

hi, Kay. Your energy amazes me.You work so hard in so many genres, animations, portraits, birds, flowers.I wish i could be as productive as you are.thanks for trying the bromeliad.

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..ta dah!

it doesn't look exactly like yours but i thought it was still identifiable and pleasing to the eye

It is beautiful and makes me think of a raspberry ice-cream and invites for a bite into that pink.Wonderful, kay.

Elena,

I have been so busy getting a couple of card swaps finished that I popped this on the back-burber.

I couldn't resist your clover though - we never get good looking blooms like that - only the lawn choking kind. So here is my ink and watercolour version of trifolium

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You did a wonderful job on the clover, Sue.Very well done!Love it.

Well done Bigs and Kay - both different, both beautiful.
I want to try one of the architectural ones in pen & ink - not as colourful as yours but will give it a go.

Can anybody help????
I am having trouble downloading Elena's pictures, but only the architectural ones. The clover was fine but the others said I could not save a copy because it didn't recognize the file. Did anyone else download successfully?

very nice sue. elena i am off to the poem

Hi Elena,

I've lost the article talking about it, but I found some info on google. It's in french...

Ce livre nous invite à une promenade enchanteresse à travers les plus beaux et les plus étonnants jardins du monde. Œuvres de créateurs renommés ou joyaux méconnus, ces jardins, éparpillés aux quatre coins du monde, sont représentatifs de toute la gamme des styles: médiéval, baroque, contemporain, italien, japonais, français, etc. De l'Alhambra à Central Park, de Giverny au très contemporain Garden of Cosmic Speculation de Charles Jencks, et de la Villa Gamberaia à Ryoan-ji en passant par le Jardin botanique de Montréal, cet ouvrage propose une façon originale de visiter les cinq continents et plus de soixante-dix pays, à la découverte de leur précieux patrimoine naturel. Sa riche iconographie comblera les amateurs, qui y retrouveront toute la beauté et la subtilité de l'art éphémère des jardins.

Voilà

merci, Nathalie.

a sketch of the lions court at Alhambra, Granada.

I know this is two months out of date, but life has been a bit crazy lately and I was determined to finish what I started all those weeks ago. This is my combination of two of Elena's photos. Pen and ink background and colored pencil flowers.

It sure is good to be back!!!!

hope you are all well
Liz xxxx

absolutely marvelous, Liz.Your talent amazes me.