What Summer Leaves Behind
finding beauty after the bloom
I’ve been fascinated with seed pods since high school, where my art teacher had lotus pods as part of a dusty years old still life. I recently painted a few of those into my first Botanical Fantasy paintings, rekindling my interest in what is left behind when the fruits and flowers are spent. I’ve decided I want to incorporate more of that in this continuing series, especially now, I think, that it is autumn and things are in or approaching that stage of life.
On my recent trip north to New Jersey, my aunt pointed out some magnolia trees as we walked, and stopped to pick up a pod with bright red seeds still attached. I can’t imagine how the birds missed them. I had never seen one! Not in all my years, but to be fair, most of those years were spent where magnolias do not thrive. It was so beautiful that I snagged a couple to bring home and then put out a call to local friends here in North Carolina to see if I could find more. I did, and then hit the jackpot when my friend, Leslie, mentioned she had many pods and seeds that she had foraged over the years and would let me borrow whatever I wanted! EEE!!! I was excited. I think I was ringing her doorbell before she ended the phone call.
I can see some milkweed and cattails in the salt marsh outside my studio that I’d like to bring in, but I can’t get to them without serious boots, because what I can’t see are the cottonmouths and water moccasins who also live there. I hate snakes.
I probably have enough to work with now, and there are always books and photos if I need some other shapes and sizes.
Yesterday, I started with some fussy little sketches to help me really understand the forms. It’s interesting to me that so many plants have reproductive parts that are so similar in shape to human genitalia. Have you ever noticed that? Touching and holding each, turning them over and around in my hand and head while I draw helps me know the differences and sameness of each.
Today, I prepped five canvases with gesso and began loose charcoal sketches on two of them. The shapes seem like they are dancing across the canvas and I hope I can maintain that vibe. I’m feeling a very strong pull to paint loose, sloppy, gestural lines and shapes; quite different from the first four Botanical Fantasy pieces. Who knows, maybe these will be a different thing entirely. Tonight, I’ll mull over color palettes. Maybe something natural and muted, like fall and winter here. I know what you’re thinking: “Hah! She’ll never paint anything soft and muted!”. We will see! Tomorrow, I’ll start slinging paint and see what comes about!
Oh, and if you have any interesting dead stuff (no animals, please), take a pic and send it to me, wouldja please? Thanks for hanging out with me here, I appreciate you!