Ponderings on my Wanderings: What a Relief! Chapter 2: In Florescent She Carried a Torch

I was born smack dab in the middle of the continental united states then catapulted to the world’s most remote island chain. Such was the bold contrasts and experiences I fought against in my youth and gravitated toward as I got older. As a photographer, I learned the art of composition. As an art restorer and resin jewelry creator, color theory. Culminating in the adventure into one of my favorite collected mediums, the block printmaking process of relief. And the challenges and surprises of reduction reliefs.

What a Relief part two…

While walking the mastiff around the property in my pajamas in the early Am mist I stumbled upon my next subject. And I had to begin immediately. This has been the beginning of each process so far. I see something and I have to carve it that moment. There has been no “hmm I’ll think about it”. I see it and start that day.

What had captured me was the lily white and cream bloom of a monstera and the bundle of fruit beside it. If you haven't tasted the corn on the cob looking fruit of the monstera, it tastes exactly like pineapple and banana mixed together. Some fruit flavors shouldn't be mixed together.

The hooded part is actually called “the inflorescence” which holds the spadex of tiny blooms. Inflorescence, from Latin inflorescere “to come to flower, to begin to bloom”.

I began by carving the hood then the spadex. The first two colors, cream and lemon yellow were barely visible on the paper.

Next I carved out what would remain lemon yellow and inked up a lime green.

I carved out what would remain light green then inked up a sky blue.

Dry time in between layering color.

Next I carved out the background and inked up a kelly green. I was quite ecstatic with these colors. Kind of amazing all the colors you can create from just using blue and yellow.

After Kelly, I mixed up a darker version for the 7th and final layer. But after sitting with it awhile I decided to embellish the spadex with a little painting. You could see the different layers really close up, but hanging on the wall it looked like a white circle in the middle of the monstera leaves. It needed a little oomph. I added some shadow and detail to the spadex.

Title “In Florescent”

(“bursting into bloom”).

7 layers of color Plus embellishment, Edition of 11

The torch ginger was always going to be part of this series. When you cut a flower and carry it, it’s hard not to run and pretend you're carrying the Olympic torch. We have two patches of torch ginger on the property. Gorgeous and dramatic are all stages of the 'Etlinger Elatior' named after a botanist and the Latin word for ''tall'. Creative like our wild cats Mama Kitty and White Foot.

Every petal is outlined in white, it was made for carving. London and I discovered Pink ones on one of our adventures last year. Barbie pink. They didn’t look real. And apparently they also come in white?!?! I haven’t seen those in person yet.

Though some ginger are ornamental, these are actually edible, comparable to lemongrass. I don’t think I’ve tried them. They are popular in Thai cuisine though so maybe I have and just didn’t know it. I also read a case study in the National Library of Medicine where they found extracts from the white one stimulated collagen production and wound healing and extract from the red had a number of anti-aging effects. Incredible!

And who of you by worrying can add one hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothes? See how the lilies and wildflowers of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin wool, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory and splendor dressed himself like one of these. Matthew 6:27-29

After carving out what would remain white, I mixed up a fruit punch pink.

Only a portion of the buds would be pink then it was on to red…strawberry? Or perhaps Supergirl red.

I now had to switch to greens but throwing a bright green on top now would not be a pretty mixture so instead I tried sage/army green first, since the stocks have some.