July 31, 2010 Hollyhock

Situated on a stalk, overlapping, and looking out in different directions, this plant reminds me of city. It is crowded and each individual bloom is competing for attention. It is a reminder that ingathering can create tension.

July 30, 2010 Public Art

Janet Marcavage's new installation in Tacoma's Tollefson Plaza is an example of how artists use natural forms to create public art. It reminds me of the work Andy Warhol proposed for the Tacoma Dome, see this link.

July 28, 2010 Familiar

Although I didn't use this pod as a model, last year I created a large armature out of paper mache that looks eerily similar to this form.  The volcanoes and craters on my armature allowed me to construct horse chestnut sculptures complete with prongs.

July 27, 2010 Totem

I could live in UBC's Museum of Anthropology--so many sculptures. The striking imagery, treatment of volume, fine carving, and size of this totem is inspiring. With the ability to browse 10,000 objects in clear glass storage, there is so much to learn from.

July 26, 2010 Orca

On the Vancouver, BC waterfront, Douglas Copeland's Digital Orca appears to be leaping into the sky.  Although the sculpture looks like it was made out of Legos, it is extraordinarily gestural.

July 25, 2010 Night

By night (with fireworks) the Vancouver B.C cityscape loses the definition of its rectangular buildings and blue horizon, and instead becomes a series of lit dots.  The lack of a macro illumination highlights the micro lighting and redefines the landscape.

July 24, 2010 Day

By day, the Vancouver, B.C. cityscape gives way to ships on the horizon and the sun's reflection on English Bay. It is a reminder of how illumination defines a landscape.

July 21, 2010 Sky

The cloud formations last night looked like a perfectly lit installation of pillow forms. Not as brooding as Victoria Adams' paintings (currently at TAM), but just as intriguing.

July 20, 2010 Orange Lily

These lilies have petals that look like they were dipped in orange paint. Sometimes in art showing a bit of the process adds interest to the overall piece.

July 19, 2010 Monkey Puzzle

From afar Monkey Puzzle Trees look spindle-y, but up close you can see the spirally arranged leaves form a tangled network. So much more complexity is revealed once you get up under the form.

July 18, 2010 Composition

While these pink hydrangeas are an unusual color, it is their spherical blooms, variant sizes, and positioning that reminded me of the elements of a good composition.

July 17, 2010 Exuberance

The exuberant pistil sprays add volume to these flower forms. The dried out version of the flowers, right next to them, are a reminder of the maturation process that these forms will follow.

July 16, 2010 Assumptions

The deep maroon, bordering on black, color of this succulent almost doesn't make sense--I think of succulents as being shades of green.  Yet, an unexpected color makes you stop and question your assumptions about how things "should" look.

July 15, 2010 Grape-ish

These grape-ish forms have an certain appeal.  As a structure, grapes speak to abundance, clustering, languid hanging, similarity as well as difference, inflated balloons, and mini fruit.

July 14, 2010 Burning Bush

On a hot summer day I found this bush which appeared to be mimicking a flame. The leaves on the branches range from pink to burgundy. The spewing form combined with the saturated colors gave me an instant association.

July 13, 2010 Blooming Hydrangea

The ultra blue blooms on this hydrangea are combined with the blue tinged tiny buds. The dispersal of blue throughout unifies the composition, leading the eye around the form and back again.

July 12, 2010 Beached Book

(Naomi provided this image.) Some art is compelling because it is mysterious, and there are so many things I'd like to know about this book--did it fall off a boat and wash ashore? did a sun bather leave it behind accidentally? did the book get lost in the sand and then uncovered by waves? There are so many narratives for this piece.

July 11, 2010 Umbrellas

People have submitted images for me to comment on (this one provided by Gail). These pink blooms open up like umbrellas--closed they're creased, opened they're taunt and full. The open/closed feature reminds me of a sculpture within a sculpture I once saw, a First Nation's transformation mask that parted to reveal another face within. I liked the dualism and interactivity of the work.

July 10, 2010 Hydrangea

Smooth and segmented, hydrangea buds look like tiny green pumpkins. Their tightness reminds me of art that is bundled and tense (the opposite of work that is loose) and a bit too contained.

July 9, 2010 Ginkgo

The uneven fan shape of the Ginkgo leaf reminds me of several things . . . butterflies, rose petals, wrinkled hands, tattered fans. The power of both art and nature is that viewers can see one thing and have many associations about it.

July 8, 2010 Rose

Traditional poses for the rose tend to be head on. Viewing this one from the side makes me think about how much the petals look like Ginkgo leaves. Changing perspectives brings new insights.

July 7, 2010 Poppy

This closed poppy has a very stubbly stem and a velvety crown pin wheel.  I like the combination of the bulbous pod form and flat top versus the spiky and soft textures.

July 6, 2010 Barnacles

These small barnacles have been filled by sand and rocks. They remind me of swallows' nests and volcanoes.  The form is a bit abstract; not all the valleys are filled, some of the walls are broken, and the edges of the overall shape are jagged.

July 5, 2010 Nest

Swallows build their nests from small packets of mud. The repetitive and meticulous nature of the act of building awes me. The tear drop nests, with their single entry holes, make a strong sculptural statement.

July 4, 2010 Crowding

Sometimes crowding can be employed to create a sense of layering.  The overlaps here are enhanced by the pink outlines of the petals. Empty space has been pushed out of the composition.

July 3, 2010 Wrinkles

Like a linen coat, this flower's wrinkles suit it.  The deep maroon, arch-shaped spots provide symmetry to the form and a focuses attention on the puffy yellow center.

July 2, 2010 Urban Tree

This tree, meant to beautify, looks strangely out of place against a white-washed building, surrounded by a mini hedge and a small fence. Considering its setting, it looks fake.

July 1, 2010 Single Daisy

The granular, mustard yellow center is set off from the bright white petals by a thin halo of black.  The deep green background makes the form pop.

June 30, 2010 Peach Lily

The color of a peach, this lily has dramatic highlights which lead the eye to its center.  The petals look robust down the middle, but then become wavy and wispy at the edges.

June 29, 2010 Outline

The outline on these leaves is interesting because it is reversed out--normally you expect that the outline of an object will be darker than its interior.

June 28, 2010 Stem

This stem of nearly dried flowers creates an interesting form that reminds me of an animal. Although not true to proportion, the branches and spent flowers look like the craning necks and droopy heads of horses.