Peony In Bloom
A stretch of cool, wet weather has extended the peony season. It’s a colorful show of pink, red, coral, white and even a few yellow ones. They poke their perfectly spherical buds through chain link fences. Fully opened blooms have rested their soggy heads on the grass, waiting to dry in the sun Some have just a few petals, others are as full and fluffy as a new box of Kleenex. Originating in Asia, they are one of the national flowers of China. In olden times, people believed that peonies could be made into medicines that could cure epilepsy or prevent nightmares. Now we treasure them for their fleeting beauty.
Inside The Museum
From a distance, the National Museum of African American History and Culture looks like three stacked metal baskets. Inspired by art created by Nigerian artist Olowe of Ise, using traditional Yoruban motifs, the bronze-colored frieze has an elegant, slightly somber feeling. Once inside the museum, that frieze becomes a lace-like scrim that floats just beyond the tall floor-to-ceiling windows, providing light and creating complex shadows. Viewers can see the colors and patterns of the trees and buildings nearby but there is a sheltering or protective aspect to it that compels us to turn around and explore the complex history that is this museum’s reason for existing.
Poppy and Iris
The late afternoon sun filters through the trees and acts like a spotlight in our front garden. Poppies and irises are the stars of this late spring show, petals transformed into glowing shards of stained glass. The poppies stand tall, with graceful curved stems that give them even more allure. I am happy to see a few more buds, perfect spheres that are ready to burst open and unfurl their crepe paper petals. The show will continue.
Dianthus
Cheerful and colorful from late spring well into the summer, dianthus are perfect examples of radial symmetry. Petals spread outward from each center. Colors form in symmetrical rings. And yet, on this one little plant, there are so many variations within the finely-drawn lines of the petals: short dashes on some, long arterial veins on others and nearly filled-in tracings on the brightest blooms. Each flower sports a zigzaggy white edge, some forming only the thinnest most delicate line of white. How marvelous to see symmetry and variety working in harmony.
Flax In Bloom
Petals the color of a clear sky swayed in the breeze on a mild spring day. This very same plant has been essential to life since ancient times. Processing the fibers into linen threads involves many laborious, mysterious-sounding stages: rippling, retting, scutching and heckling. Fine linen fabric was wound around the remains of Egyptian pharaohs. The seeds were an important part of ancient diets. Without linseed oil, many of the great paintings in the world would not exist. Quite a resume for a delicate plant nestled among the peonies.
Cezanne's "At The Water's Edge"
The National Gallery in Washington has many Cezannes on display. My favorite is a painting that looks not quite done, as if he never finished layering all the colors. Viewers can see how he used a brush loaded with dark paint to draw in the lines that determine the structures of buildings, bushes and trees. Then he started adding his blocky dabs of greens and browns along with the spongier shapes of clouds. Reflections shimmer on the water. The buildings look sturdy. Those clouds billow and reflect sunlight. Does it matter whether or not the painting is finished? It stirs my soul while also revealing the artist’s methods.
Robin's Nest
The newly abandoned nest hung precariously from a corner post supporting our deck looking more like a wreath than a nest. One egg already lay on the ground. What happened here? Did a larger bird disturb the parents or try to raid the nest? I am imagining that they were novices who did not realize that a spot three feet off the ground with no branches to hide it was not a wise choice. It was a perfectly formed nest with perfect brighter-than-Tiffany-blue eggs. So full of possibilities...So sad.
