Well this week has been rather busy and I hope that it's found you happy, well and Nature has delighted you in some way special.
WHY DO FLOWERS HAVE MEANINGS?
Someone asked me why do Flowers even have meanings and it's a great question.
Have you ever noticed how adaptable plants are? Especially flowers? They will progressively change over generations to better attract different pollinators and animals to assist them in spreading and surviving. Most give something out and in exchange they get something back. It's a relationship. All of Nature is one big family relationship and we all need each other. I have found that plants give us what we need, they attract us so that we might assist them. In growing them, in noticing them, in caring for them and for the place they live in.
NEW FLOWER READING CARDS
For the past 18 months I have been creating my next tile to follow my "Australian Wildflower Reading Cards". Decks and books and Art that I'm working on all overlap while I'm creating because that's the way that Nature is. I travel to places and seasons change around me and so my focus is on what is here and I collect my thoughts at that time, I talk to people in those areas and I research, I create my art and I enjoy immensely in being in that moment learning.
So this title has learned a lot from the last. This has been from meeting so many of you lovely Nature and particularly Flower Lovers while on my travels and from chatting with you, listening to which of the things I share with you that you seem to really want more of.
The biggest surprise I guess has been the amount of kids who have come to see me and who have purchase Australian Wildflower Reading Cards.
I suppose I should be surprised at all because I'm a Mum myself and my kids have always loved the Botanical and Mythological stories I've woven for them. To other kids and families respond the way mine have is just natural too..... Oh and I do LOVE LOVE LOVE budding Artists sharing their Flower Art with me immensely!! ~ makes my day ~
In my first title I shared the traditional meanings of Flowers and you could use them as daily affirmation cards or read with them as an oracle deck or, as many do, use them to study flowers and learn about them and their connection with us.
I included the botanical information so you could go and explore and I also have suggested (ok ok ok I have pleaded with you all!) to plant natives, particularly to go and find out which are you 'local natives'. So happy to read every day more and more emails and messages from people doing just that..... bUT.... :)
BUT many of you asked for an 'International Flower Deck" with flowers from around the world because you wanted to know more about them as well. I've also met many people from outside of Australia on my travels and online who have asked me about them to.
So without giving too much away, I've concentrated on bring you a deck which combines a very special look at flowers around the world. It may not in fact be what you are all thinking (HINT, remember: I don't share JUSt the mythology and traditions, but the Botanical adventures as well in my work!)
Those who have seen this work this week now it has been complete ~ my Publishers, close friends, family my Mum :) have all expressed what I hope will happen, a renewed interest in what I've taken for granted because to me it's just what I love.I am loving the additional questions and the wonder that Flowers & Plants and THEIR stories are inspiring.
It won't be too long until this title is out and in the meantime I am still working on a large book, a smaller book and of course the next deck. Plants will come to me to be researched and written about and painted in their time, not mine and I learned to work and to grow like the seasons and be a part of Nature.
PLANT LOCAL NATIVE PLANTS!!
AGAIN please plant some LOCAL native flowers!!! Go to your local council and ask them for this information. They are not just for parking fines and rates you know ;)
When you do, hop onto Florasphere and show me the FLOWERS!!
HANDING IN MANUSCRIPT
This is my publisher Paul Dennett! He and his wife Lisa Hanrahan run Rockpool Publishing
~wild office garden, bare feet and happy smile. Cool hey?
So this week all the artworks are in, the guidebook is complete and so the process of final edits and printing begins. I'm so looking forward to sharing with you all the publishing dates BUT you know you I can't or I'd have to hide you in the bottom of the garden somewhere so you couldn't tell anyone! ;)
I can share a couple of images with you... JUST a couple mind! ~
I'm really looking forward to meeting more of you in person and online and hearing your connections with Nature! It's been a really amazing six months and I thank each of you for your support and interest because I'm able to keep sharing with you because of it and bring you more publications and be able to travel to meet you all.
May you always be blessed by Nature
and may YOU always be a Blessing to Nature as well my friends!
Love
Cheralyn xx
PS ~
One of the final images for Flora's cards/book .... I do so love drawing her and now painting her backgrounds. I'm mono printing with natural treasures and placing her drawings over those ~