Monday, June 16, 2025

Seasons of Nature, Seasons of Art / May 13, 2024

Seasons of Nature, Seasons of Art

Story 1, Seasons of Nature
Perhaps you’re familiar with e.e. cummings’s poem, in Just- spring, which celebrates the mud-luscious, the puddle-wonderful, the running, the dancing, and the whistling of the micro-season he identifies as Just-spring. It’s a distinct mini-season in the big picture of spring as a whole—that little stretch of time when leaves are tender chartreuse confetti-like bits, just unfurling; buds are tiny and tight for a few minutes, pop open in brilliance for a few more minutes, then drop to the ground; catkins open up in wonky sci-fi configurations before leafing out.

Story 2, Seasons of Art
Boxing Day

Story 3, Seasons of Art, Update
At the vernal equinox, I propped Lichen-Rusted Kaffeeklatsch in a stand on the small side table in our front entry. At that time it complemented what could be seen outside our front door—bare branches, stark tree trunks, a dull color palette. But then Just-spring arrived, and I just could not let that painting stand as it was. So I updated it!


Lichen-Rusted Kaffeeklatsch, updated
6 x 6″; acrylic, ink, oil pastel, and pencil on canvasboard
abstract treescape
2024=====


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9 responses to “Seasons of Nature, Seasons of Art”

  1. Just spring. Just out the window. Just color. Just wind. Just yellow, purple. All shades of green.

    Just Dotty. Just perfection. Just… ahhhh.

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    1. Sheila, just the kind of responsive feedback I love, Sheila! You are just so wonderfully tuned in to visual language. Just sayin’.

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  2. Even though the English of your blog is almost out of my reach, I think I know what you’re talking about. I always feel that (when it’s correct what I understand of what you wrote) when I see the very first leaves of the beech, when the leaves are bright, bright green, curled, hairy, the light goes straight through, and puts the whole wood in a bright yellow green light.

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  3. I love that micro-season of spring….especially those “chartreuse confetti-like bits” of leaves. I’m not familiar with that poem…but I should be.

    Well done on the updated spring painting. Do I sense more seasonal updates to this one?

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    1. I just recently learned of the concept of micro-seasons, through something Roseanne shared (The ancient Japanese almanac of 72 micro-seasons provides a map of time that is a mixture of culture and nature. This calendar notes incremental changes in nature, demarcating different periods with names that reflect these seasonal changes.) I have long observed personal micro-seasons that are a mixture of personal experience and nature; now I know to call them micro-seasons : )

      I have several favorites among e.e. cummings’ poems, and in Just- Spring is one of them!

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  4. imajenationgmailcom Avatar
    imajenationgmailcom

    we’ve been commenting here on our hikes how unbelievably GREEN everything is in this micro-season of spring – nearly glowing!

    your painting….omg I can feel the exquisite texture of those trees under my fingertips.

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    1. Lola, I love picturing your being on your hikes commenting on how unbelievably GREEN everything is in the newness of spring. I can see you both hiking, feel you both noticing, hear you both exclaiming. That green is magical. Magnificent. Miraculous. Life-affirming. and SOOO GREEN! Thanks for running your fingers over those textured lichen-rusted trees in my painting : )

 

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