21 May 2015

Hydrangea Blues

 
Once again we have reached the third Thursday of the month, AKA time for the latest edition of the ROY G BIV photo challenge. May's color is blue, so it seemed like a perfect chance to get to know my blue hydrangea better. For years I've been writing about how I purchase one each spring, to place on the windowsill of our kitchen. But the current hydrangea in residence has also spent some time in the studio, where there's more light for photographing and space in which to explore & play a bit.

While blue is my "least favorite" color, I've come to realize that I do appreciate itimmenselyin nature...a sparkling blue sea, the thousand watercolor-like degrees of blue at twilight...and blue hydrangeas. I always marvel at just how many shades of blue the petals of a single hydrangea plant can display, especially as it "ages"...some blooms deepen to violet and ultimately they will take on a green tint. And in doing a little "dissecting" with the X-Acto knife, I realized how even the delicate stems that that support each four-petaled blossom are beautifully nuanced with blue & violet (you can see a smattering in the ceramic palette in the photo above).

I have also been working on a new collection of typography prints recently and thought I'd try out something inspired by blue (though I'm not sure that "hydrangea blue" is among the blue-tinged rainbow created by the colors I fixed at either end of my spectrum—it proved impossible to capture all of the blues that do exist!)...






On the note of varying shades of blue, by chance I came across the following quote in a book I was reading the other day. The observation was made after Earl Shorris drew a connection between a butterfly he had seen in the Mayan jungle a few months before coming across the entry for "blue" in a dictionary of the Maya language:

There are nine different words in Maya for the color blue in the comprehensive Porrúa Spanish-Maya dictionary but just three Spanish translations, leaving six butterflies that can be seen only by the Maya, proving beyond doubt that when a language dies six butterflies disappear from the consciousness of the earth.

 — Earl Shorris
"The Last Word"
Harper’s Magazine
August 2000


*


And now, back to the hydrangea... Here it is in the studio, where I have recently reorganized the studio tables to form a luxurious three meter-long working space (thickly covered, as you may be able to make out below)...



I also had fun taking apart some recycled organza tea bags from my stash and filling them with fresh hydrangea flowers...





And here are a few closeups... I especially like the layering of the edges of the petals—like sheets of wavy paper (Image 1), the effect of a flurry of "wings" (Image 3), and the way the overlapping of the petals seems to form extra petals between them when they're seen against the light (Image 4).










A few details in case you are not familiar with the ROY G BIV photo challenge... Artists Jennifer Coyne Qudeen & Julie Booth started this project a few years ago. Each month is devoted  to a different color of the rainbow, and once we explore
all of these we will move on to other colors later in the year. Everyone is welcome to join in the search. Please visit Jennifer & Julie's blogs for links
to each month's participants. Guidelines are here.


20 comments:

  1. un bleu tendre...magnifique...

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  2. I hope to grow hydrangea and blue ones at that in my garden, I hope the blooms will be as beautiful as the ones in your studio.
    Amazing fact that the Maya have nine different words for the colour blue.

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    1. Happy hydrangea-growing, Maya! They are absolutely delightful, aren't they?
      - Lisa

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  3. Hi Lisa- Once again...blown away by your photos...waiting for that Roy G Biv photo book! The look into the Mayan language and the connection with the butterflies was fascinating...and telling.

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    1. Thanks, Julie! (Btw, I am working on integrating photos into a book at the moment...have yet to see where exactly it will lead though...)
      And yes, linking something as tangible/magical as a butterfly to the loss of a language so rich was a very poetic - if jarring - way to drive home his point.
      - Lisa

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  4. That quote is absolutely fantastic.

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    1. I know...it felt quite serendipitous to discover it just before putting together this post!
      - Lisa

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  5. I love what you've done with the hydrangea photos - so creative!

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    1. Thank you, Sharmon. I did enjoy my time spent with the hydrangea : )

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    1. Hello, Linda ~ Thanks for stopping by...and I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the photos!
      - Lisa

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  7. Beautiful feast you have prepared...not only for the eyes but mind and heart...beautiful blue!

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    1. Thank you, Mary Ann...and I like your use of the word "feast" here - it seems so appropriate in conjunction with a plant as voluptuous with blossoms as the hydrangea!
      - Lisa

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  8. So lovely to see you back with with your beautiful blues; hydrangeas are so so gorgeous aren't they? And the quote. And the organza tea bags. Big sigh from over here.

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    1. Thanks, Fiona! And yes, hydrangeas are just gorgeous! I was interested to read about the traditional meanings. On the one hand, they symbolize heartfelt emotions - in particular, gratitude for being understood - but they are apparently also associated with frigidity/heartlessness. I also found this:
      There remains some debate over the hydrangea’s symbolism–with some connecting it to vanity and boastfulness (perhaps reflecting its abundance of petals and lavish, rounded shape) and others suggesting that a bouquet of hydrangea expresses the giver’s gratefulness for the recipient’s understanding. Still, others suggest it represents anything that’s sincerely heartfelt. Despite this variation in flower meaning, there appears to be an overwhelming consensus that this 4th wedding anniversary flower possesses enduring grace and beauty.
      Though this is my favorite sentiment (regarding pink hydrangeas in particular), expressed by florist Tan Jun Yong:
      "The light delicate blush of the petals reminds me of a beating heart, while the size could only match the heart of the sender!"
      I believe he is referring to the overall effect of the many stems each laden with masses of blossoms (as opposed to a mere, tiny, blossom)!
      In any case - no matter their "official" meanings - I do love them, and am delighted to be in such good company!
      - Lisa

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  9. How beautiful this is! Your lovely photographs never disappoint but this post is a particularly subtle rendering of the colour of the month and this time they come with a wonderful quote. Compared with the Maya, we have too few words for the colour blue, I think. I tried to make a list and reached about half a dozen, leaving many shades unnamed.

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    1. Thank you for stopping by for a look, Margaret. It's funny - I nearly didn't include the quote because it's really more a commentary on language than color, but I'm glad I did as it seems to be what's captured the interest of many readers. A bit of a wake-up call, I suppose - and a reminder to do whatever we can to keep what came before us alive...
      - Lisa

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  10. Beautiful!! Blue is one of my favorite colors! Thanks so much for dropping by my blog and commenting.

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  11. Thanks, Lynda...and I'm happy that you enjoyed finding my "blues" here this month!
    - Lisa

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Thank you for joining in on the dialogue; I appreciate your comments!
{Sorry about enabling word recognition, but I'm hoping it will alleviate the spam.}

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