Typha Glauca 1
Quilt Details:
Year: 2014
Collection: Jim Seago
Dimensions: 32″ H x 39″ W
Technique: Hand appliqué, Photoshop manipulated images, Machine quilted
Background fabric printed by Spoonflower
Story:
Inspired by a photomicrograph from Dr. James L. Seago
The micrograph is of a culm of Typha glauca, the dominant wetland plant of almost every wetland around the great lakes. The stem was stained with phloroglucinol for lignin by Hilary McManus and Jim Seago around 2002. It is a brightfield image off of the Zeiss scope in Waterloo, Ontario.
Plant Anatomy Series
Jim Seago was my professor at SUNY Oswego and is also my mentor. Based on my work in his lab, I discovered plant histology. Now, many years later, I believe that the study of histology was the beginning of my understanding that I am an artist and see the beauty in nature. I started out my life as a little kid on the ground by our house picking apart plants to see what was inside. Little did I know……
I believe the light microscopy and other histological studies helped me with my personal art. I have always found the histological sections to be beautiful and plant sections much more so than animal. I like the effect of the cell walls. I love how plants grow – I love how disease messes with development in fascinating ways. I see quilt images in everything from bark to branches. I owe much to Jim for encouraging the study of plant histology – it is with me to this day.
Typha glauca is the first in my plant anatomy series where I will be manipulating photomicrographs of plant sections and overlaying with an appliqué version of the plant.
