Finding Heaven in the Sky – Alfred Sisley’s Garden Wisdom
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast:
October 30, 1839
Today, we find inspiration in the words of Impressionist painter Alfred Sisley, born on this day in Paris.
Though primarily known for his landscapes, Sisley's artistic philosophy offers profound wisdom for gardeners.
"I always start a painting with the sky," Sisley once said.
How many gardeners share this same instinct?
We, too, begin with the sky – checking its mood, watching its clouds, and letting its light guide our work. Like Sisley, we understand that everything in our garden exists in relationship with the heavens above.
Sisley's observation about clouds particularly touches the gardener's heart:
Is there anything more splendid or thrilling than that effect which is frequently found in summer? I mean the blue sky with beautiful clouds, white and drifting. What movement, what allure they have!
Any gardener who has paused, trowel in hand, to watch clouds dance above their flowers knows exactly what Sisley meant.
Perhaps his most poignant words for gardeners were:
Every picture shows a spot with which the artist has fallen in love.
Replace "picture" with "garden," and we have the perfect description of how we cultivate our spaces – with deep, abiding love for every corner, every plant, every moment of beauty.
Sisley's artistic philosophy will also resonate deeply with a gardener's spirit. He said,
I like all those painters who loved and had a strong feeling for nature.
Don't we too seek out fellow gardeners who share our passion for the natural world?
His devotion to painting outdoors, en plein ai [on plahn EHR], mirrors our own need to be outside, hands in the soil, faces turned toward the sky.
When Sisley wrote, "The animation of the canvas is one of the hardest problems of painting," he could have been describing the challenge every gardener faces – how to bring life, movement, and soul to our planted spaces. Like Sisley, we gardeners agree that nature itself is our greatest teacher.
As you work in your garden tomorrow, remember Sisley's words about loving nature and feeling it strongly. Start with the sky, fall in love with your space, and let nature guide your hands. In the end, whether we're wielding a brush or a trowel, we're all artists painting with nature's palette.