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| Assorted Plants |
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| Figs |
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| Chicory |
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| Freshly cut Chicory from the corner of a condo building site by the road. |
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| Lupins, escapees from cultivated gardens, have invaded a 'vacant' lot. |
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| Creeping Thistle is native to Eurasia, and Chicory and Tansy have come from Europe. |
The Glass Flowers at the Harvard Natural History Museum are fascinating to study. Besides replicating the original plants, they feature magnified cross-sections of plant structures that are usually hidden to the casual observer. I was interested to see the model of Chicory, a 'weed' I see at the roadside where I live in Canada.
I have been exploring a nearby vacant lot as well. Tansy is a plant that was originally valued for medicinal folk remedies and young Chicory leaves are still valued in Europe as salad greens. The root of the chicory plant can be roasted and used as a coffee substitute. Upon researching these 'weeds' further, I discovered that these plants prosper in land that has been disturbed by humans. They are considered aliens to what used to be a natural habitat.
I am interested in the vigour of these plants and their defensive strategies. I am working on a drawing of thistle leaves at the moment, that will be the basis for a panel project with three-dimensional protrusions.
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| Thistle Leaves 22" x 16" graphite on paper 2013 |
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