Apr 28, 2010 Anemone

This seed-stage of Washington native Anemone reminds me of the plant drawings of Dr. Seuss.

Apr 27. 2010 Sitka Mountain Ash

The berries on this Washington native shrub create a form that is like a collection of pomegranate-shaped balloons.

Apr 26, 2010 Douglas Fir

Native to Washington State, the Douglas Fir is huge. Monumental proportions in nature and art have the ability to awe and put human existence in perspective. 

Apr 25, 2010 Native Plant Appreciation Week

April 25 - May 1 is Native Plant Appreciation Week in Washington.  At Pt. Defiance Park (Tacoma, WA)  a portion of the lawn has been stripped away; in its place a native plant garden has been recently installed. Earth works art and landscaping are ways in which human manipulate land to beautify and inform.

Apr 24, 2010 Double Tulip

The unopened bloom of this double tulip has a pleasing cabbage-like shape and hints at the multitude of petal layers.

Apr 23, 2010 Grass

This clump of fluorescent green grass creates a ragged starburst form, reaching out and up.

Apr 22, 2010 Leaves

These leaves have very strong lines--four vertical lines bisect the leaves, separating rows of horizontal lines that form scale-like shapes.

Apr 21, 2010 Pine Cone

The scales spirally arranged on this mature cone have very round tips.  Overlaying each other, they create an interesting shadow in the crevices.

Apr 20, 2010 Statice

Perched on a thick stem, the small downward facing blooms create a non-symmetrical mass, giving this portion of the statice the look of a miniaturized pink tree.

Apr 19, 2010 Lavender Flowers

White star shaped centers and emanating soft lavender petals make these flowers look like pastel pin wheels.

Apr 18, 2010 Daisy-like

The the subtle yellow and white flowers of this bush are very different from daisies, which have a much sharper contrast of form and similar color.

Apr 17, 2010 Tulip

This tulip reminds me of an artichoke--it's the way the petals fold in on each other.  What adds interest to the form is the yellow color's hints of orange in the shaded areas.

Apr 16, Pansies

The lower quadrants of these pansies are saturated with a deep purple color, while closer to the top the color becomes just outlines and then disappears completely.

Apr 15, 2010 Daisies

These tiny daisies, with their bright yellow, pill tablet-like centers, look large here. But in a field of grass they look like small specks, adding a haze of white to a swatch of forest green.

Apr 14, 2010 Purple Haze

I wanted to capture the purple haze provided by a clump of several large azaleas in a row. However, I could only record a small slice of an overwhelming presence.

Apr 13, 2010 Fern

The tightly wound fiddlehead of this fern looks as though it will unfurl in slow motion.  The black stem of the frond provides a nice contrast to the lush green pinnules.

Apr 12, 2010 Reed

This primordial reed reminded me of an eye-less and mouth-less snake.  The stark contrast between the bumpy, beige "head" and the smooth, green and brown "body" is striking.

Apr 11, 2010 Trunk

It seems appropriate that I found this sea-weathered tree trunk washed ashore on the waterfront this weekend, since I just finished making several trunk sculptures that will be a part of my installation in Portland opening May 6.

Apr 10, 2010 White Camellia

The nesting concentric leaves of this camellia create an alluring symmetry.

Apr 9, 2010 Onion

While its thin outer layer appears to be ready to sluff off, this onion's twisting, dried-out stem creates an interesting counterpoint to the sphere volume.

Apr 8, 2010 Helleborus

Staying well away from the edges, small pink polka dots interrupt the petals' white fields.  They provide a nice contrast to the leggy green pistils.

Apr 7, 2010 Tulip Magnolia

Cosseted in the center of this tulip magnolia is an exquisite sculptural form--the tiniest lime green pine tree stuck in the middle of an orange sea anenome.

Apr 6, 2010 Rhody

The electric, flourescent color of this rhody's blooms eclipe the interesting forms of its buds, which have unfurled darker petals, green bases and yellow tips.

Apr 5, 2010 Copper Bark

This tree's bark has super smooth dark and light swaths of copper color combined with extruding rough texture bands that look almost like scarification.

Apr 4, 2010 Daffodil Week Ends

This past week as been an exploration of daffodils, so it seem appropriate to end with the little contemplated back side, with its star shape and bulbous connection to the thin green stalk.

Apr 3, 2010 Daffodils (redefined)

The fluted and frilly shape of these daffodils' coronas, as well as their white color, redefines what we expect daffodils to look like.

Apr 2, 2010 Daffodil (beginnings)

Looking suspiciously tulip-like, daffodils don't begin with any hints about their future conical and petal form.

Apr 1, 2010 Daffodil (difference)

Daffodil Week continues. When form and color are usually the same, it is sometimes the one slightly different element of one part that calls attention to the whole group.