New work: Coevolve

Coevolve
16" x 16" painted paper collage on wc paper

In my last post I mentioned that I am reading a book on evolution written by Carl Zimmer. I am still pecking away at it and have resigned myself to now being a slow reader. (At least I am still reading!) 

In any case, the above piece was inspired by a couple of things that I read. First, I didn't know that birds have a poor sense of smell but can see well in color. Many flowers are colored red, for example, so that birds can see them to pollinate them. I can attest to this fact since I have a fuschia colored salvia bush outside my window that is frequented by humming birds. Insects cannot see in color but have a good sense of smell and gravitate towards pollinating flowers with a strong aroma. I also learned that there is a particular flower (somewhere in South America?) that has a 16" long shaft with the parts to be pollinated deep inside that shaft. A moth exists that only pollinates that flower. He has a curled up tongue that becomes filled with blood and unrolls to be 16 inches. Imagine that!

You may have guessed that I am on the chapter in the book that deals with co-evolution. I have certainly heard of parasitic relationships but the concept of two things evolving together in tandem is kind of new to me. Very fascinating. So, literal soul that I am, for my piece I pictured unfurling tongues and flowers! I also read about Mendel's peas and his experiments to discover the secrets of heredity. I learned about the evolution of vertebrates and all about how genes and chromosomes worked. I pictured a cell breaking apart from a group of cells. (I also recently studied a little bit about how cancer starts.) 

In all honesty, I can't say that I start any of these pieces with specific images in mind. The pieces in fact start with just some very general shapes. (You can probably tell that by looking.) As I am working though my mind wanders to whatever it is that occupies it: reading material, words I heard, something I saw on TV or noticed while I was on a walk. I'll often jot down a little image in my sketchbook of whatever it is that I am imagining. (Lately I have a lot of flower sketches so out came that idea!) 

It's taken me a good long while to get to this point, the point where I feel I have something for myself, art wise. I know perfectly well that for most of my friends and family the artwork does not appeal. It's OK. I could paint bad landscapes I guess but then where would I be? I just can't concentrate my efforts there and would rather spend my time enjoying the work of others who are much better at that genre. So, that's where I stand. I like having my own thing.

Here's to hoping everyone reading is off to a good start this week. And may you all have your own thing too!

Thanks for reading,

Libby