Friday, February 13, 2015

All plants, all the time

A garden writer for our Portland newspaper once used the phrase "all plants, all the time" to describe a couple of local nursery owners. She was expressing thanks that these individuals are so extremely focused on finding, propagating and selling plants that it consumes their lives (as you might imagine I feel the same way). I thought about this description recently while explaining to a friend why he didn't want to be my "friend" on Facebook. I'm not on Facebook to share other facets of my life (and yes, there are others), I am on Facebook to be a part of the horticulture community. I realize to some this may look like my life is all plants, all the time, and I don't think this is a bad thing!

I then started thinking about another friends recent observation that our house is filled with botanically inspired artwork (all plants all the time). A string of rainy weather had me indoors looking at these images and thinking they would make a fine blog post...

I'm starting above the fireplace mantel, a place you're all familiar with from my recent wreath obsession as well as annual Christmastime posts. On the bottom (below) is a drawing of Euphorbia grandicornis, from the book Decorative Cacti. Above that is a picture Andrew made for me as a Christmas gift when we were dating.

On the far right of the picture are basalt lumps. Spokane has the most amazing outcroppings of basalt and my house was bordered to the south by a tall natural wall of rock. The wire symbolizes holes I'm digging to plant in (if you scroll up you can see a figure representing me approaching from the left, with a plant to go in one of those holes).

Next is a black and white photo of a trio of saguaros.

I bought this at the Seattle Goodwill in 1992-ish and it's hung in every home I've lived in since. I haven't changed a thing, it's famed exactly as it was when I found it, thanks B. Anderson.

This is a print Andrew bought me for Christmas one year, it was part of a larger theme. A few of the others you'll see in the dining room were also part of that year's haul.

These two ladies (?) are walking through a field of opuntia and carrying baskets of opuntia pads on their heads.

After reading Color: A Natural History of the Palette Andrew got to wondering if maybe they were harvesting the pads for cochineal.

This group hangs over the couch.

Aloe concinna, also from Decorative Cacti.

The pair of magnolia prints were an antique store find years ago. I had them reframed and still love them as much as the day I found them.

This is the dining room wall, sorry about the reflections, there is just no good way to take photos of glass!

Moving clockwise, we start in the upper right with a print from Schoolhouse Electric by Makelike. Schoolhouse doesn't offer it any longer but you can still by it direct from Makelike. Also for any of you who've admired the wallpaper at the Xera shop here in Portland - also from Makelike.

Another from Andrew, a screen-print of an Agave americana. I love the super close-up.

This print was a gift from fellow blogger Kelly Kilpatrick.

I've admired the work of Amelie Mancini for years and still can't believe I have a print of hers on my wall. There is a bit of an error in the print, can you spot it? (agaves aren't in the family cactaceae)

I bought this card at Flora Grubb and framed it. The artist is John Bell.

Finally there are a couple of framed post cards. This one "A Cactus Garden" is old...

And this one is new, purchased at the Huntington Gardens. No doubt a reprint of an old card. Looks like it's a little crooked doesn't it?

After taking that last shot I turned and saw part of my collection of vintage cactusware, I have plates too!

More of Andrew's artwork, this is a close up of one of the cylinders he calls "burger king crowns"...

These hang in the kitchen and are from a 2008 gallery show.

weed devil blooming

heart dropping out of a devil

competition drinking from green bottles with a red devil

These hang in our media room (actually the second bedroom but we use it for the tv/desktop computer/etc). They're West Elm circa 2006-ish.

There are 6 total, metal mounted on a wood box.

If you're curious this is actually the most representative of the wall color...

There are two of Andrew's works hanging in our bedroom.

Naturally the plant shapes are my favorite part.

Our tour wraps up in the bathroom with this fabulous photo of an Agave victoriae-reginae printed on aluminum. It was a gift from Gerhard (Succulents and More) who is also the photographer.

So there you have it, all plants - all the time!

All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

34 comments:

  1. It's pretty much all plants, all the time here, too! Andrew's art is delightful!

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  2. Yay! Artwork AND plants. Hallelujah. I LOVE that you have Andrew's wonderful artwork here again, that man has some serious talent, I'm telling you. Well, you know that. And your collection is wonderful, all someone needs for an art collection is a focus - then go for it. You have a drool-worthy collection, Loree. Love it!

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  3. Andrew's work is fantastic, we're fans already! And you have a seriously cool collection there. Your strong passion for plants both in and out of the house is a source of inspiration Loree ;)

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  4. Better than going to any art museum. A themed tour with descriptions and explanations. I, too, am enchanted by Andrew's work. All very personal. All very wonderful.

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  5. What a lovely selection and I like the way you have displayed them. Andrews work is great too, is he professional?

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    1. Professional in that he's had several gallery shows and sold a lot of his work. However he also has a "day job."

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  6. Such wonderful stuff, so creative, such variety. Love it! My walls contain mostly plant photos... I need to branch out a bit into other media I think.

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  7. What a great post! You have so many beautiful pieces. Andrew's work is stunning. It's so intricate, I wish he published a book so I can study it up close.

    And thanks again for putting me on to the Decorative Cacti book. I love it!

    While I've sold and given away many of my photos, I only have a couple hanging in my house. Everything else is artwork by other people.

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    1. Those of us who have been on the receiving end of your giving away much appreciate it!

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  8. What a fabulous collection of the art of your interest. Thank you for sharing it with us ... :-)

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  9. And Tamara knows her Art!

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  10. Nice collection! Wait, there's artwork that doesn't involve plants (or nature in general)?

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  11. I always enjoy it when you share Andrew's work and feel very fortunate to have seen it in person. Your collection is wonderful. There's nothing wrong with all plants all the time! Is there more to life than gardening?

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  12. I remembering admiring all your botanical art -- and Andrew's -- when I visited. Art gives such insight into a person's tastes and interests. Yours are simply fabulous. I have a LOT of botanical art on my walls too. But they tend more to landscapes. I've been consciously adding more people portraits lately, just to shake things up, although one of those has a significant botanical theme.

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  13. Being focused on plants is such a pleasant obsession as compared to what some people spend their time and money on.

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  14. Your focus and collections are inspiring. You are a person who truly knows herself and I admire that. Andrew's art is seriously cool. I agree that he could make a book.

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  15. i really love Andrew's art so much.

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  16. Andrew is as talented as you are. In other words, very.

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  17. Love it! I have botanical themed art and photography all over my house, too. I can't imagine it any other way.

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  18. I think it's wonderful that you surround yourself with what you love - and that Andrew clearly supports your interests to the fullest. A good friend recently gave me an oil painting of a Tillandsia in a pot, her own creation, and it's one of my favorite gifts ever.

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  19. FYI Cochineal is a scale insect that when squished gives off a beautiful carmine color. It is very very carefully scraped or shaken off the cactus pad so as not too lose that "blood" and to preserve the pad. Down here we eat the pads which are called nopales, grilled or boiled, as salad or vegetable.

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  20. Love the agave screen print!

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  21. I love the botanical art in your house!
    I know: you do plants, you eat plants, you drink plants, you are dreaming about plants and you are blogging about plants.
    I am a plant-freak too, and I love your blogs.
    Greetings from Holland, Zem.

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  22. Andrew's work is marvelous, as is all the botanical artwork in your home. I am very jealous. Our house is a bit more heterodox - we have lots of botanically themed stuff on the walls - including posters from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. But then we also have birds and butterflies. I also prefer to keep my FB focus on garden stuff, though occasionally I stray to other concerns and happenings.

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  23. I have that say Decorative Cacti book. Why have I not thought of framing the plates before? May have to steal your idea!

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  24. If I may recommend an artist to you, look up Jacques Hzindovsky for beautiful, graphic botanic woodcuts.

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    1. Thank you Susan, I will check out his work!

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  25. So interesting...and so many gifts from friends :)
    I can´t really determine if those devils in Andrew´s paintings are painted or are in 3d, made out of something else...

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    1. The devils are carved from wood, painted, and then he inserts short thin wires into their backs and mounts them on the boards. They do stand off the surface a bit and are very hard to photograph well!

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  26. I LOVE Andrew's artwork. All of your plant related art is beautiful, too. I've seen those glasses you have with the desert plants on them on eBay so many times and have been SO tempted to buy them, but worry about breakages during shipping.

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  27. I suppose I might have guessed that the inside of your house would follow along the same lines as your garden. But, you have an amazing collection and so much wall space on which to display it. I'm sure everyone knows what to buy you for Christmas and birthdays. I have one or two botanical things but you would find my collections extremely eclectic. Maybe that goes along with my style of gardening. I admire your focus.

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