Introducing Fire Poppy
Fire Poppy shown with American Persimmon wallpaper in color Sunrise.
Most of my work is inspired by native plants that grow in New England where I was born and raised. However, thanks to family members and professional ties, California also plays an important role in my life. With the golden state in mind, I recently made a limited edition, linocut print that features a California native plant: Fire Poppy.
Made with water-based printing inks and heavy cotton printing paper, Fire Poppy measures 9” x 12.”
One might say that the seed of this idea began to germinate just over a year ago. On Wednesday evening, January 8th, 2025, my daughter, a student at UCLA, sent a video she took from her dorm room window. The video showed fire spreading across the hills in the distance and lighting up the night sky. Upon seeing these images, I felt both abject terror and helplessness. I'm relieved to share that she evacuated later that evening and found shelter with family friends. My child was safe. However, having a loved one on the edge of such catastrophe made a deep impression on me and ultimately guided my California native plant selection.
Images, sketches, and color explorations for Fire Poppy.
Like the flames that precede them, fire poppies come in brilliant shades of orange and red. These small, delicate flowers are known as fire followers, plants whose seeds lie dormant for years and then sprout in the wake of conflagration. After smoke sets fire poppies’ germination process in motion, the plants eventually grow roots and dot hillsides with blazes of color. The flowers often bloom on slopes that have been denuded by flames, thus providing protective plant cover that helps reduce erosion. Fire poppies are annuals. They bloom for a year or two and then, once other plant life has returned, they disappear. But during their brief and glorious appearances, fire poppies remind us of resilience and hope.
From sketch to print: the process of creating Fire Poppy.
To create Fire Poppy, I looked at fire poppy images and made a series of sketches. After settling on a composition, I traced my drawing with a charcoal pencil and then transferred the charcoal image onto a block by turning it face down and gently rubbing the back of the paper. Next I printed layers of color, moving from light to dark. Between each layer I carved away surface area so that the previous layers of color would be exposed.
Twenty-five percent of Fire Poppy’s sales will be donated to the California Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund in order to support survivors and communities affected by the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. A limited-edition linocut print, Fire Poppy is available for purchase on our website.
Wishing you beauty, resilience, and hope