Dia Sete

This morning we made the two hour journey to the home of Roberto Burle Marx, the most revered landscape designer of Brazil. Upon arrival, we were amazed to find a massive forest of tropical plants that had been arranged into a beautiful garden. We even spotted little monkeys high up in the trees, and learned that they are called "Mico"!

We learned that Marx was the first to incorporate native plants into his landscape designs, while discouraging the use of the European plants that had been favored. Marx had to cultivate these tropical plants by hand, and his collection presents about 3,500 cultivated species. We were also able to see Marx's home, now converted into a museum; it is filled with his artwork, including ceramics, paintings, tapestries, and decorative tiles. As we roamed the gardens, we searched for examples of the principles of design, including contrast, repetition, focal point, balance, scale, sequence, and unity. Then we learned about positive and negative space in sketching, and were able to practice some sketches in the garden!

Afterwards, we drove to Grumari Beach where we spent a relaxing afternoon. The beach was a lot less crowded than in Ipanema and had a gorgeous backdrop of tropical plants and cacti!
We are having an amazing time, and are looking forward to everything to come!

Emma S. & Dave W.