I’ve always had the inclination to take my cues from Mother Nature. Sometimes the cues are very loud and clear; very personal. Sometimes she speaks the language of the ancient poets.

The garden is man’s attempt to decipher and exalt and the result can be enchanting. Last summer I visited a 300 year old garden in the Azores (islands off Portugal) from which these paintings are actual excerpts or possible visions.

- Lynda Shalagan