Good Day Sunshine

Here is the sunshine of my mind.  It lights up all those strange little botanical imaginings that grow and crop up in my sketches and gives them the nutrients of fruition from concept to completion.  It, naturally, is a microscopic sun and changes colors at will, a very fickle sun, but consistent in its sunshine.  Sometimes I get art-burn, but there is no permanent damage.  She exists as pictured in my sketchbook, but tomorrow's sun will surely be different and surprising.

A Very Merry Microsopic Berry Spore

I am obsessed with all things microscopic and the idea that we live on a dust speck, think "Horton Hears a Who", has fascinated me since forever.  This teeny little organism is a berry spore, looking for a place in life to call her own blueberry, strawberry, or cranberry plant.  A berry spore within the plant will ensure that you are getting the very best-flavored berry, with pride.  She aims to please and stain all light-colored clothes (not intentional).  Most spores are happy-go-lucky, which is good, sour-puss spores make for very sour tasting berries.

An Elephant Water Sprite

Here's a rare glimpse into the world of the Elephant-styled water sprite.  This one lives within a waterfall and likes to mimic the body of water in which it lives.  This water sprite protects the underwater plantlife and aquatic creatures that live within the waterfall and the lagoon in which the waterfall splashes into.  On occasion, the water sprite will come across a human encountering it's domain.  If you cause any harm to it's domain, it will haunt the intruder until the danger retreats.  If you visit with no harmful intentions, you will benefit greatly from this encounter, sometimes healed of your afflictions as a form of thanksgiving from the sprite, which in reality is an angel, guardian of nature of its choice, some choose, forests, trees, gardens, etc..  They have been known to take up residence in cities and churches or church meditation gardens (they like the statues).  They are invisible unless they choose to show themselves to you, in your imagination, like the one above.

A Botanical Showgirl

Here's a spectacular Showgirl, in full bloom.  This is special blossom that coincides with a collection of several small plants cooperating to create this particular spectacle.  It is extraordinary because many species of small, even unknown plants will pull their resources to create a cascade of multiple blooms that will give you a show, so to speak.  No two Showgirls will ever be alike due to the plants combined that create the blossom.  Some Showgirls have been known to include trees and shrubs and even small animals, insects or birds  join the cooperative efforts given the benefits of strength in numbers and a shared base of nutrients for all involved.  They live right under our noses, parading about Showgirl style, usually in floral arrangements.  This particular Showgirl was spotted in the wild and recorded in my sketchbook.

   

Crown Jewels: A Rare Botanical Delight

This little gem is called  the Crown Jewels, it is also a microscopic organism that is nomadic in nature.  The Crown Jewels sort of migrate and take in the sights of the most beautiful blossoms and specimens of the plant kingdom, they might be small, but Crown Jewels are magnificent little creatures and considered royalty within the nano-culture.  They thrive best in botanical gardens, where other rare and beautiful specimens live together and treated like the treasures they are.  Crown Jewels are like visiting celebrities and live like rock stars, all are different, they pick up traits from the plants and gardens they live and migrate among.  No two Crown Jewels are alike and migratory patterns vary from individual to individual Crown Jewel. Their choice of travel is dependent of a variety hosts, such as gardeners, care-givers, birds, worms, etc.. They will piggy-back just about any viable transportation to their next destination, where they will be warmly invited to the next plant with a celebration of blooms upon their arrival, like I said, rock stars!

Elephant Tree Grove

Here's a strange and rare glimpse of the Elephant Tree  in a grove.  In reality, they are tiny, so the name Elephant Tree applies only because the second trunk that resembles that of an elephant's.  Otherwise, they are microscopic and are both a type of fungi and animal.  To observe these microorganisms is quite miraculous, if not impossible.  They are extremely loving in their family group, or rather, groves.  An Elephant Tree grove is self-sufficient and finds a spot in either a garden or an individual potted plant, like and orchid, African violet, and sometimes shamrocks.  They are attracted by strange and beautiful plants and will travel and live as nomads until they find a spot that will foster their grove where they will grow groovy colonies and assist the mother plant or their home of choice with the nutrients that only an microscopic and elegant Elephant Tree can provide to the host of their chosen grove.  The host, or mother plant will be abundant in blooms and growth as a result of the nutrients.  They are considered good luck, trunks-up or trunks-down, they are exceptional creatures.  This rare specimen exists as a painting in my sketchbook.

A Sea-Flower Family

This seaplant exists in the reef of my mind, none-the-less, it is a fascinating species, like coral and other animals parading around as plantlife in the sea, it is stationary.  The mother-plant is like the queen bee, the colony grows around her, and all the sea-blooms are her children and they share the nutrients as they are all connected.

More Botanical Delights

Here's a new little sketch, a little imaginary botanical drawing.  This is a underwater seaweed blossom from an imagined reef, of course.

Looking for Love…

Now that I have your attention AND got a song stuck in your head, I’d like to introduce you to the 3rd installment of Christmas Cheer.  This is a textural painting with the addition of crackle medium and fine, black mica flake medium, and thick string gel.  This is titled “Awaiting Love”, picturing a silly, love-sick albino peacock looking for the love that will fill his life in his future and waiting to give his love in return.  This painting went to my brother, Jack(ie) and his wife, Joanna.  They are still considered newlyweds, so I figured this painting would still apply.

a bit more of cheer…

This is an experimental painting that was given to my sister, Andrea.  It involves several layers starting with fabric being the base, then a 3D piece of art with yarn I created, and finally, alternating layers of paint and medium gloss and matte finishes used according to my whim.  It’s a friendly little bitty, full of vim and vigor, more spirit than matter….light-hearted, just like Andrea!

a little Christmas Cheer…

This is the detail of a painting given to my parents for Christmas.  I kept my color palette minimal, which is challenging (for me).  It is titled “Lurking Garden Angel”.  Every garden has it’s angels AND dragons, at least that is what I choose to believe!  This is a better look at a previously posted painting originally named a garden sprite, and later decided it is better suited as a garden angel.  This made sense because the background is golden and the painting in general has an angelic quality.  And, it was a Christmas present!