The Clever Illustrations of Jessica Roux

There's no denying that Jessica Roux's illustrations draw me in.
It's her subdued color scheme, the moody depth she creates with shading,
and her subject matter, which I find especially interesting.

 Her groupings of items into themed collages are my favorites.
Take time to notice her clever choices:
cone flowers, dainty teacups, a morel mushroom, ornate embroidery scissors.

Jessica's subject matter reflects her infatuation with nature. 

I feel instantly calmed as I look through the illustrations of this talented artist.

See if you do, too.

See more illustrations by Jessica Roux:

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Images used with direct permission from Jessica Roux.

Pittsburgh's Gorgeous Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens

I can't say enough good things about our visit to the 
Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, PA!

This horticulture heaven has breathtaking themed gardens around every corner. 
What a thrill it was to explore this gorgeous, Taj Mahal-esque structure!

Just inside, this astounding chandelier by artist Dale Chihuly fills the glass rotunda!

Banners like this one piqued our curiosity.

It just so happened that we were in town when the giant corpse flower
was expected to bloom at any time, so it was garnering much attention.
Native to the rainforests of Sumatra, it blooms only once every few years, 
and when it does, it emits an odor similar to rotting flesh. I know- eew, gross!
We missed the big event by only a few days, however, so our noses were spared.
Here's the infamous corpse flower in all its pre-bloom glory.





The Serpentine Room features seasonal plants & flowers.

Phipps has an outstanding collection of Bonsai. Here are just a few.

A huge variety of lush ferns in every shade of green.

Beyond-beautiful orchids! 

More of Chihuly's art glass is situated throughout the conservatory,...

...including this spectacular sunburst called "Desert Gold Star" 

located in the cactus-filled Desert Room.

A circle of bromeliads.




Loads of info available on the Phipps website!

More of my Pittsburgh posts:
Riding the Duquesne Incline
Vegetarian Brunch at The Zenith
Wowed by the Nationality Rooms at Pitt's Cathedral of Learning

You may also enjoy these past posts:
An Autumn Afternoon at Longwood Gardens
The September Gardens of Stan Hywet - Akron, OH

Great Useful Stuff ~ Let's Go Shopping!

Another super discovery for my "Let's Go Shopping!" series:

a cool online shop called Great Useful Stuff.

This is the place to go if you want to organize your

gardening tools

recycling

knitting

electronics

cleaning supplies

travel needs

-and lots more!

Great Useful Stuff ~ Let's go shopping!

Find Great Useful Stuff here:
Website
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More in my "Let's Go Shopping!" series
can be seen here.

Appreciating Vintage Vegetable Seed Catalogs

With gardening season upon us, I'm showing off 

the beautiful covers of some vintage vegetable seed catalogs.

These are from the late 1800's through the turn of the century into the 1920's.

Backyard gardeners of every era have loved that smell of newly tilled soil 

and enjoyed of the hard-to-beat flavor of home-grown vegetables.

From Dorothy Frances Gurney's poem, "God's Garden":

The kiss of the sun for pardon,

The song of the birds for mirth,--

One is nearer God's heart in a garden

Than anywhere else on earth.

Take a few minutes to appreciate this wonderful artwork, 

as well as the extensive use of decorative typography.

These images have been gathered from Pinterest.

Surreal Beauty by Duy Huynh

Symbiotic Symphony

Welcome to the surreal world of Duy Huynh!
His acrylic paintings evoke a feeling of placid calm.
They touch us with symbolism and beauty
within a modern, dreamlike realm.

Mint to Bee

Metamorphosis in Blue

Slow Food for Thought

One Step at a Time

Big Heart Botany

Strung Together

Higher Consiousnest

Dance the Blues

Waiting for Time to Fly

You can see more here:

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Images used with direct permission from Duy Huynh.