Defying Gravity
One day last summer when I was walking in my favorite Vermont meadow, a patch of milkweed caught my eye and stopped me in my tracks. The milkweed was encrusted with shimmering, copper fans that opened and closed slowly like the gills of a fish. A closer look revealed that the plants were covered with monarch butterflies, so many that I could barely see the milkweeds’ green leaves and pink flowers. The arrival of these exquisite creatures, master pollinators who help support our ecosystem, filled me with joy.
The meadow is home to many wildflowers, including goldenrod, Queen Anne's Lace, and milkweed.
The butterflies had stopped in the meadow because milkweed, their host plant, grows there abundantly. Monarchs depend on milkweed's leaves which help incubate their eggs, serve as food for fledgling caterpillars, and distill toxins that protect the butterflies throughout their lifespans from predators.
Milkweed seeds taking flight.
When I went back to the meadow this past fall, I saw a promising sign that the butterflies might return next summer. Milkweed pods, bursting with small, brown seeds, dotted the field and with each small puff of wind, a handful of seeds would float away. Crowned with white floss that acts as a parachute, the seeds were alighting on wind currents and sailing over the meadow to new homes where more milkweed might grow.
Yours truly releasing milkweed seeds.
Watching these tiny orbs of light take to the sky filled me with wonder; each little seed could become the origin of so much life.
The process of creating Milkweed.
Back in New York City, I tried to capture that moment as a linocut print. Using photos for reference, I began by making pencil sketches. Once I had a resolved composition, I went over it with ink to determine areas of light and dark. Next I traced the drawing with charcoal pencil, and then transferred the charcoal image onto a block. Finally, I carved the block and printed it on heavy paper with sepia ink.
Milkweed measures 6.5" x 10.5." The print is shown above accompanied by our Pawpaw, color Leaf Green wallpaper and fabric.