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Rebirth
April 2006
Isn’t it like a miracle when spring arrives and those buds appear seemingly out of nowhere, and not long after, beautiful flowers blossom? We tend to take the passage of seasons as a matter of fact, the way of life on earth, but if we open our minds a little we see beyond that. Those beautiful forms and colors that seem to come out of nowhere can be mesmerizing.
And that is what we can see on our cover, an untitled photograph by Randy Williams of the spectacular form of a newborn poppy. The composition is amazing, as good as—or perhaps better than—the invention of a remarkably creative artist. With the violet forms in the center and the rich oranges and reds in the background, it’s a photograph worth framing. We’re delighted to have it welcome our new season.
There is red and orange again in our first spread. On the left is another Randy Williams photograph of poppies, this time a group of them, handsomely composed, and with lovely green stems holding them up. The black background provides a dramatic frame for the gentle red forms. And on the right we see orange and red tulips photographed by Mirav Ozeri, this time with a peek into the center of one of the flowers with its different elements neatly composed. Lovely green leaves frame the beautiful petals.
Next we move to a bright pink image, “Apple Blossoms at Sundown” by Jo Mainetti. Two or three of the flowers are opened wide while the others are closed. A branch rises at a slant to the right like an accent, while the green background provides a subtle frame for a well-composed image. On the right we see tulips again, this time photographed by Jackie Adler, and they are grouped together to form a mass of red sitting on top of dark greens. The image is so bright, we can imagine strong sunlight streaming down from above, adding richness to the forms and colors.
Then we move forward to a different mood. Now we see dark greens in the background as a way of accenting the budding forms. On the left is a remarkable photograph of the “First Ferns of Spring” by John Hayes. Somehow the delicate white stems seem outlined with bright lights, giving them a magical appearance. They seem like little periscopes leaping up from the dark to see the world around them. And on the right there are the lovely bright white and green petals of dogwoods by Robert J. Near, with remarkable clusters of little green forms in the center, and subtle touches of pink at the edges.
We end this lovely spring portfolio with “A Tapestry of Willow Flowers” by Heather Burrill. It is a delightful composition, with the vertical forms curving to the left and right. The scattered flowers are remarkably well composed across the surface, and the subtle greens in the background add strength to the strong image.
All of them together give us a wonderful way to welcome the new season.
--David Finn
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