Date Palms

Sometime this weekend, (probably today) I will be listing this original oil painting for sale on my etsy site. I have always loved this painting, and it is about time I found it a good home. It is from a series of these abstracted roses I did while living in Colorado a number of years ago. I did repaint it last fall, adding more of the red and gold colors. The colors used to be much cooler, and I think the added reds have made it so much more inticing. If you are interested in this painting, or one of my other paintings, please feel free to email me at karine@karineswenson.com, or visit my etsy site to purchase one!

Onto more information about the Coachella Valley, where we are currently living. I am learning a lot about palm trees, specifically date palms, which are the predominate palms here. On daily walks with Pono the dog, I have recently been noticing some of the date palms wearing these strange brown wrappings. I met another dog owner, an elderly woman, who told me the people who own these trees used to own one of the biggest date palm farms in the Valley. She said the dates are "so sweet, dear, you wouldn't believe it." Then, on our adventure to the Salton Sea on Tuesday, I saw the date palm farms! They are really beautiful, and I hope to get a chance to tour one soon. The date palm trees that we passed had their dates wrapped up in what looks like cheesecloth. (I don't think that's what it is, but that's what it looks like.) The woman in our neighborhood explained that the wrapping of the dates is to protect them from the birds, but even still the birds sometimes get more than their fair share of dates. If you click on this link HERE, you can read all you ever wanted to about dates. It's interesting, and I recommend it as fine educational reading.

I find it funny, as a girl growing up in South Dakota, I never thought there was more than one kind of palm tree. I knew there were different kinds of pine trees, and deciduous trees, so it seems strange that I never considered the possibility! Silly girl. Palm trees had to do with beaches, warm places, and something exotic. After having lived in Hawaii, and now here, I am amazed to discover just how many different kinds of palm trees there really are in the world. Coconut palms, royal palms, date palms, queen palms, and windmill palms are just a few of the palm trees I am discovering. I still like them, very much. I suppose another painting of palm trees is probably percolating. (I did many small watercolors of palm trees in Hawaii, and I think they are mostly sold.) Perhaps the next painting will be in oil. Maybe it will even be a date palm!

Only eight days left, and Matthias, Pono and I will be moving into the new house in Joshua Tree! But who's counting?