Beneath the spiky peaks of The Fitzroy mountain in the valley of Río Eléctrico, was where I first met these two. It was autumn, when the colours of the Nothofagus trees are in full force, and the Patagonian winds calmer, yet still almost blowing you over. The lower slopes next to the river are covered with blankets of “Chaura”, Gaultheria mucronata, with little red fruits that look like apples for tiny fairies. They reminded me of the Cowberry’s, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, you see on the moors at home. Fine liner pen and watercolour.

Here’s a poem I wrote to go with this painting 🍎

Autumn
When the trees change their dresses
A magnificence of colours, woi oi!
If you look closely you'll find two sisters
The moss fairies, Peace and Joy
She collects manzanitas
And she plumps pillows on which to lie
She spins pirouettes in the wind
And she has dreams kissed by butterflies