Do you have a favorite park?

For many people who live in cities, parks are the areas where one retreats or where one can get away, be quiet and still. Some of the busier and livelier cities have greater needs for parks. New York City has numerous beautiful parks. When I visited that city a few months ago, I was surprised not only by the number of parks and how beautiful they were, but by how the locals flooded to the parks in large numbers.

When I go to Paris, one my favorite park is behind the Rodin museum because you can sit amongst large trees and beautiful sculptures. You can sit there by yourself for a long time and enjoy a wonderful picnic with baguette and cheese. The Luxembourg Garden (Jardin du Luxembourg) in Paris, where one can find numerous activities such as tennis or puppet show, has the perfect size for a large city park at 60 acres.

For me at least – maybe it’s an introvert thing – the places of quiet retreat are very important. That’s why I don’t live in the city. What are some of your favorite parks or peaceful areas?

This past week, I created this large watercolour of a make believe park with mature trees and a lovely park bench. This is my third attempt at trying to create a scene that gives me a serene feeling.

Danielle