Artist: Valerie Henderson
“Jacaranda” 2022
Location: South West side of S. Main St. and W. Edinger Ave. intersection
“There’s something that feels magical about the Jacaranda trees that bloom around the City of Santa Ana in April and May. The trees come into full flower with their delicate blossoms of pastel purple and last just until the green leaves emerge fully on the tree.
To create the artwork for my project, I spent days walking down residential Santa Ana streets that were lined with Jacaranda trees, shooting photos and immersing my senses in the overhanging branches of delicate color.
Back in my studio, I played with watercolor paints and let the delicious color drip. I printed copies of my tree photos and used black markers to play with the lines of the tree trunks. I cut and pasted and mixed up the papers until I created the final collage. The vision and work process to create the artwork I submitted was
incredibly joyful.” – Valerie Henderson