Garden Dreams
"Day Lily" - Acrylic on Canvas-18"x18" - By Mary Maki Rae -Copyright-2009 c.A Garden Muse with an Oriental Flavor - In her floral headpiece are: Echerevias, Day Lillies, and Origanum (the light green beauty, almost touching her right shoulder). Two Swallowtail Butterflies balance the Arrangment-!
Where does Inspiration come from-? -- A fascinating question-!
My initial inspiration is usually an actual Flower or Plant that I've grown or bought, or have been given by a Friend. But what to do in the Heart of Winter, when the skies in the Northwest are the Grayest of Grays, with just a few brilliant flashes of Sunshine-?
One Solution: Research your "Garden Dreams" of a Spring & Summer Garden - that hopefully will come soon. In doing so, I came upon an Exquisitely Inspiring book, entitled: "The Jewel Box Garden" By Thomas Hobbs. If you garden at all - you need this book. This man's innovative, visionary approach to Gardening will inspire plant lovers and Artists alike-!
Many of his plant choices seem at first like they would favor a Southern clime. But the truth is that they actually "thrive" here in the Northwest, under his careful watch-! (Many are brought inside to the greenhouse during colder seasons.)
He has found so many extraordinary colors and varieties of cactus-type and "Coleus" Plants, then like magic, combines them with other plants with such an artistic feeling, that I'am inspired to grow some myself this year-!
I'm always looking for "different" plant forms for my Paintings - this Book is a "treasure chest" of specimens - a few examples follow:
Where does Inspiration come from-? -- A fascinating question-!
My initial inspiration is usually an actual Flower or Plant that I've grown or bought, or have been given by a Friend. But what to do in the Heart of Winter, when the skies in the Northwest are the Grayest of Grays, with just a few brilliant flashes of Sunshine-?
One Solution: Research your "Garden Dreams" of a Spring & Summer Garden - that hopefully will come soon. In doing so, I came upon an Exquisitely Inspiring book, entitled: "The Jewel Box Garden" By Thomas Hobbs. If you garden at all - you need this book. This man's innovative, visionary approach to Gardening will inspire plant lovers and Artists alike-!
Many of his plant choices seem at first like they would favor a Southern clime. But the truth is that they actually "thrive" here in the Northwest, under his careful watch-! (Many are brought inside to the greenhouse during colder seasons.)
He has found so many extraordinary colors and varieties of cactus-type and "Coleus" Plants, then like magic, combines them with other plants with such an artistic feeling, that I'am inspired to grow some myself this year-!
I'm always looking for "different" plant forms for my Paintings - this Book is a "treasure chest" of specimens - a few examples follow:
A Jewel Box of: Helleborus x orientalis
"Tilt a Whirl" (of the Coleus genus)
Mostly "Echeverias"
Origanun ("Barbara tingey")
"A Spiral Aloe" (Aloe polyphylla)
"String of Pearls" (Senecio rowleyanns)
THE BOOK: "The Jewel Box Garden" By Thomas Hobbs
Photography By David McDonald - Timber Press Inc. 2004
THE BOOK: "Shocking Beauty" By Thomas Hobbs
Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd. 1999 (They're Both Great - Check them out-!)
Photography By David McDonald - Timber Press Inc. 2004
THE BOOK: "Shocking Beauty" By Thomas Hobbs
Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd. 1999 (They're Both Great - Check them out-!)
"In a dark time the eye begins to see". . . .
-Roethke
-Roethke
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