• And the Plants Will Set You Free

    Through knowing and using the plants that grow around us—the ones in our backyard, the weeds that resist all efforts to control them, the abundance and diversity of the species in the Cascadian forests—we are more whole, secure and free. What’s right under our feet are, by their very nature, agents of freedom. [Read full post]

  • Design Thinking for the Creative Herbalist

    As herbalists, we are naturally using design processes all the time. Working in the plant and human world for the purpose of healing we are constantly dealing in very complex worlds. I want to push you to go past what you know is comfortable and reimagine your practice so you are doing the wildest, most liberating brilliant work that you can. [Read full post]

  • Aesthetic & Beauty in Practice

    It’s touching the dirt, digging roots, preparing and sipping beautiful garden tea blends, smelling the flowers, having my apothecary full of jars containing gorgeous, whole-leaf herbs. Microwaving a wack bag of herb tea is a completely different game. Authentic botanical practice is a lifestyle that honors the sanctity of life and the ecological patterns around us. It’s how we connect to the larger planetary system. [Read full post]

Category Archives: Art

Simon Nunn: Botanicals & Scanners

By Renée A.D. | Published: January 28, 2013

UK-based artist uses a flatbed scanner to produce images that are paradoxically shallow & deep. See more on his website in the series “Flatbed Roam”.

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Elspeth Diederix

By Renée A.D. | Published: December 4, 2012

See more on her website.  

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Lindsey Eldredge-Fox: Wax & Filaree Ginkgo Leaves

By Renée A.D. | Published: December 2, 2012

See more on her Tumblr.

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Michael Waring & Sequence Design

By Renée A.D. | Published: March 3, 2012

This isn’t an art blog per se. But I love, appreciate and want to amplify visual art that communicates and elucidates the connections and relationships of human identity, ecosystems and health explored here. I just came across Sequence Design, project of UK-based design Michael Waring. Combining digital photography and collage, his work evokes cerebral and [...]

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Solstice Blessings: Words, Songs & Art for Sharing

By Renée A.D. | Published: December 21, 2011

This day marks the darkest day of the year, with the Sun pulled back from the Northern hemisphere. To honor this day and the beginning of Winter, I’ve collected some works to share with you.

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Infernal Proteus: A Musical Herbal

By Renée A.D. | Published: December 8, 2010

The herbalist Karyn Sanders gathered a bunch of artist and music folk to compile an album of songs about plants. This 96-page book contains 40 songs about plants–each from a different artist. Each band chose a plant to compose a song around. From her site: The musical styles cover an equally as diverse spectrum as [...]

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Les Fleurs Animées

By Renée A.D. | Published: November 8, 2010

Works taken from JJ Grandville’s ‘Les Fleurs Animées‘, 1847 (Via BibliOdyssey).

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Tatiana Plakhova: Folk Complexity

By Renée A.D. | Published: June 4, 2010

By Russian artist Tatiana Plakhova…See more at Behance Network. (Via Feuilleton)

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Ruth Marten

By Renée A.D. | Published: June 1, 2010

San Francisco-based artist Ruth Marten digitally alters print from 18th-century copper engravings. More delicacies on her website.

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Barry Underwood and the Living Forests

By Renée A.D. | Published: March 29, 2010

Great Scott! Look at these gorgeous works! He captured the land speaking. I love works that display the integration of cosmos and earth. See more of his rich, color saturated photographs at the Skew Gallery. (Via Feuilleton)

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Rene Lynch

By Renée A.D. | Published: March 10, 2010

Based out of New York, this artist can paint like a beast. I mean, do you see these colors? My goodness. See her website for more, and especially check out the Secret Life of the Forest series.

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Codex Seraphinianus: Luigi Serafini, 1978

By Renée A.D. | Published: March 4, 2010

This book, written in by Italian architect Luigi Serafini is a field guide of an alien world. An encyclopedia of the fantastical.There are sections on physics, chemistry, mineralogy (including many drawings of elaborate gems), geography, botany, zoology, sociology, linguistics, technology, architecture, sports (of all sorts), clothing, and so on. It’s difficult to find a copy, and [...]

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The Network Art and Science of Cesar Hidalgo

By Renée A.D. | Published: February 9, 2010

Cesar Hidalgo is a Research Fellow at Harvard University’s Center for International Development. Over the years he’s done a lot with applying the science of networks to the global economy (and mapping product spaces of various nations and states) and researched mobility in networks. But what really has me excited is how he approaches networks [...]

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Panos Tsagaris

By Renée A.D. | Published: January 15, 2010

This has been on a couple of blogs by now, but I really have to devote a post to it for those who haven’t seen this.  And once again, thanks to Pam at Phantasmaphile for bringing this to my attention. Panos Tsagaris. I am, truth be told, kind of stunned. This work is truly awe-inspiring. [...]

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Madeline von Foerster

By Renée A.D. | Published: January 14, 2010

It’s high time I post a couple of her fanciful and rich paintings (more on her website). I especially enjoy the alchemical painting series, a couple of which can be seen below. I remember first seeing one of them (what was it? Putrefacto? I think.) at the studio of Ouoroboros Press in Seattle. So here’s [...]

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