old school

still blog began not as an art project but as a daily discipline. it began as a prompt for me to create an image a day, and as an incentive for anyone visiting to take a moment to look at one thing at a time, in the midst of our hyperstimulated 21st century world. it began, in other words, much like this. a pine cone on a white background. not special except for the fact that it was chosen. and then suddenly you notice that beautiful walnut wood grain on the underside of the petals of the cone. and you notice the little white button at the tip of each leaf of the cone and realize that those were all you could see originally before the cone expanded. and you wonder what kind of cone it is, and think it looks maybe like a red pine, but when you look more closely you think it might be an austrian pine, and you remember that your neighbor has austrian pines on your shared lot line, and so maybe this was a cone you collected from your back yard a while ago. and for a minute or two, the whole world has shrunk to a pine cone, and still blog has done what it was supposed to do, and now it’s time to get on with your day.

pine cone (pinus nigra, austrian pine?)