Barberry, Nishiki Willow, Smoke Tree, Ribbon Grass, Japanese Maple, Japanese Andromeda, Euphoria, Euonymus Japonicus, Spirea
 
I love leaves: their shapes and colors, the way they sound in a gentle breeze, the veins that run through them carrying nutrients through the body of the tree just as veins do for our bodies. Mostly, we look at leaves as stepchildren to their showier flower cousins. I made this piece, in part, to show that leaves can be as beautiful as flowers. When we stop to look at them closely, it is deeply satisfying to the spirit.
 
This piece also asks two bigger questions. The first is about beauty. What makes something beautiful to us and why? The second question is about the relationship of beauty to the ecosystem. All the leaves in this composition are invasives used in landscaping in my neighborhood, some even from my own yard. We like to landscape with plants that are unique and that adhere to a certain version of beauty. And yet, these are plants that don’t offer as much in the way of ecosystem services as native plants. Should they be here in New Jersey, and what is the effect of having them in our yards rather than natives? 
 
14x14 or 16x16
 
Matte giclée print on watercolor paper