Portulaca flower, shot in 2003

On my way to Ann Arbor from Minneapolis a few days ago, a massive storm gathered on the horizon as I drove down I-94. Lightning strikes were occurring more than once per second – I don’t think I’d ever seen that before. The sky was lit up more often than not in a glorious display of nature’s awesome power. I had to get off the interstate where I found a dark road with a great view. I stopped and walked into a field where I just stared in awe for 20 minutes at this storm as it slowly approached. Eventually huge blobs of water started coming down and I was no longer in awe as I ran back to my van.

As I continued my drive, now in a torrential downpour, I thought about nature’s power when it descends upon urban ruins. The elements – the rain, the cold, the heat… even oxygen – start eroding away the buildings, while the bugs start eating and chipping away, since they’ll eat any old crap. In no time, plants begin growing in the mortar and in all the little cracks. The roots go deeper and get thicker and somehow these fragile little things begin cracking the bricks and the concrete and the wood, slowly consuming the building. The powerful, yet gentle arms of nature reach around these structures and slowly but forcefully pull them down to the ground, drawing them back to the earth, as earth, from whence they began. It’s an incredible cycle that is both inspiring and frightening.

Don’t turn your back on this harmless looking Pansy (shot in 2002)… it could punch your lights out!!

…shot  in the last surviving farm in Toronto (now more of a farm museum), with the day’s last minute of sunlight skimming the flower’s delicate surface…

I have 2 days to get a whack of stuff done before I drive the 14 hours to Seattle for another show. I spent the evening printing.

This is one of the few photographs that I don’t remember taking… but there it was, on a roll of film with which I’d been shooting flowers. The flower’s name is an odd irony.

Myosotis sylvatica (Forget-Me-Not), 2002

I lived over fifteen years on the edge, as a starving artist - usually just scaping by. I’ve found success in just the last two or three years. I feel like I have to work my butt off so I don’t lose my grip on this. I hope this feeling tapers off…

I’m gone for 10 days to do two shows, and when I return, I’ll have two days again to try and keep it all from crashing and burning before leaving again for another show. When I return that time, I’ll have two and a half days… This will be a recurring scenario until early October (hopefully by the end I’ll still have a few pieces of art to sell, since keeping up my inventory is one of my problems right now) . Oh well, such is life. This ridiculous schedule won’t last forever, and I am incredibly lucky to finally be making a good living as an artist.

Its time to go to my happy place…

Echinacea (shot in 2000)

Here’s another flower image from my floral series, which is on an extended vacation.

Asclepias Tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)

I missed one flight already this year, so I know I can do it again.

Today was no different -  running around like a headless chicken while my two assistants finished up artwork for me to take to Des Moines. I raced to the airport, and… delayed flight… again.

OK, breath… here’s another image from my floral series.

Tropaeolum majus (Nasturtium)

I have a large body of flower images… just because. I’m going to post them one by one under a “Flowers” tag.

Verbena bonariensis (Purpletop Verbena)