by Kristin Maija Peterson

Artwork Description

MEADOW PINE PLAID WITH MUSHROOM BUTTONS

14.5 x 18.5 inches

You can tell a lot about your surroundings just by looking down — I discover entire universes this way. A little imagination and the random arrangements of pine needles could be seen as ancient roadways carved into the earth if seen from high above. We know there are conifers here so it must be cool and moist the way conifers like it. There are deciduous trees nearby, too. Is it late summer or early autumn? The lush grasses under the needles suggest there is more shade than sun and that the soil is acidic, something that happens where conifers grow. There are no signs of wildflowers, another indication that the soil could be acidic. It may have rained recently — and just warm enough for small wild button mushrooms to pop up. All the while the trees are in conversation, discussing matters through a network of mycorrhiza below ground entwining with their roots. Next time you’re outside, in nature, take a look around. What do you see, smell, touch, hear? What stories can you tell by looking down at what is before your feet?

Artwork Details

Medium: Painting Watercolor

Genre: Realism