humble beauty
i am a sucker for seed pods. the diversity if form and function blows my mind. these velvetleaf seed pods are a personal favorite because i first noticed them soon after starting STILL. it was because of STIIL, the daily heightened awareness that STILL requires, that i first saw them. they look like the intake blades of a jet engine to me, an immensely complicated engineering marvel. and yet, velvetleaf is a common weed. i found these on the edge of the parking plot this morning while picking up more paint for my floors. such humble digs for such and elegant plant.
velvetleaf weed seed pods (Abutilon theophrasti)
choices
hey guys, re-running an old fave because i, literally, painted myself into my bedroom today. i have wood floor that are painted white. every few years, i refresh the scuffed up paint. today, i painted the floors, and in order to keep the dog off the floors, i stayed in my bedroom with the door shut. i was hungry. i had to pee. i needed to make a STILL photo. but, i had no choice. open the door and live with paw prints for 2 years, or stay in bed reading elena ferrante, with the dog curled up behind my knees. what would you have chosen?
composition of found nature
a little pressure
i know, i know. summer has barely ended and i am already photographing pressed flowers. ‘save them for winter’ the voice in the back of my head is saying. waiting for winter was too much delayed gratification for me. i love the way these bee balms pressed. like little jester caps.
pressed bea balm (monarda)
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Beautiful MJ! They glow with an inner light. Did you use a light box to shoot them?
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hidden treasures
as you know, i turned in a big art piece last week. so i am taking a breather and doing some long needed studio and imac desktop cleaning. today, i took a pass through my flower press, to re-acquaint myself with what was inside. and i found this beauty. i’m pretty sure it is pressed locust leaves. sometimes a little pressing helps bring out the symmetry. see? cleaning can be fun!
pressed locust leaf
transitions
not all transitions are as pretty as this one. come to think of it, most transition are pretty awkward, clumsy, and chaotic. but this wreath reminds us that there is always beauty to be found. summer ends. the flowers die. but that, too, is beautiful.
assorted dried flowers and flower petals
We don’t have these in new england, I think. Do they grow on the sides of roads like burdock?
According to Wiki, it does do grow in the eastern US.
I’m excited – I have had a bunch of these hanging in my garage for the last year waiting for some enlightened soul to reveal what they are to me. Thank you, Mary Jo! P.S. I live about 60 miles west of Chicago in rural Sycamore, IL
Ha! I know that feeling of finally identifying a plant, especially weeds, that you have been unable to track down.
Glad to help!
I’m so glad you identified these for me! I’ve had them in my garden plot for several years and don’t pull them because the Japanese beetles seem to like their giant leaves. Keeps them off my marigolds.