Poppies and Lupines: what inspires me to create…

Eschscholzia california and Lupinus sp. - California Poppy and Lupines

You know spring has arrived in California when the poppies and lupines appear.  Usually the lupines come first, lining the roads in the that go into the foothills with their purple blue stocks of flowers.  Their leaves have a beautiful radial symmetry that is just as lovely as the flower.  They are the harbingers of what is to come, especially after a wet winter.

Next comes the brilliant, golden-orange state flower, Eschscholozia (yes, that is spelled correctly) californica, the California Poppy.  It’s stunning golden glow fills the hillsides in splotches of orange enticing the brave to climb through the scrubby landscape to find the fields of poppies.  The velvet like petals are reminiscent of orange creamsicles and can’t help but make you smile.

In art terms, the poppies and lupines are another one of the divine miracles of this planet that we are all drawn to.  Contrast.  When you look at the color wheel, you will see that the colors orange and blue are directly across from each other.  Colors that are across from each other on the color wheel are contrasting colors.  The orange color in the poppies when set against the turquoise blue of a California spring sky draws your attention because our eyes are always drawn to contrast.  The golden yellow tips of the poppy flower contrasts with the blueish purple of the lupines.  A divinely inspired coupling here for our enjoyment every spring!

 “The greater the contrast, the greater the potential.  Great energy only comes from a correspondingly great tension of opposites.”  Carl Jung

My sister Julie was a biologist who taught me about the delightful surprises of nature and life and how unexpected events can, opposites even, can open your eyes to transformation. To an new way of seeing, and appreciating the world.

Journal Prompt:

I believe that contrast not only attracts us, but often brings clarity to a situation.  Can you think of a situation when something unexpected, or even the opposite of what you expected occurred and it brought you a new insight?

Look around you, perhaps in your house or outside to see if you can find contrasting colors or even contrasting textures, sizes, shapes.  Hint: you will be drawn to this relationship!   

Can you sketch this relationship? 

Hugs to you all-

Marilee

Buy my Creativity Journal on Amazon and fill your book with all ten projects! There is space for journaling, ideation and to create the final project. The QR code in the book links you to the journal so you can take it with you and be creative anywhere you go. You just need a pen, curiosity and joyful effort!!