The language of almonds

Almonds harvested in late summer tell of the land, of patience, of manual labour, of the ochre of the dry earth and the broken violet of the shadows beneath the trees.

When I paint, I am accompanied by the silvery green of the leaves, the furry green of the husks, and the hard, sand-coloured, slightly grey shell, broken open with stones. If you do it well, the almond kernel comes out whole – light beige to white, almost milky, with a bitter, wild taste.