The Meaning of Flowers
Mum
How many meanings can you think of for mums?
We call them mums. Every fall we plant them before Thanksgiving. Chrysanthemums yellow, purple, bronze, red, and violet. The last bit of colorful cheer before winter. Winter is a quiet time of year, mum’s the word.
So we could look them up in a dictionary of flower symbols and read someone else’s meaning on a list. Maybe it sparks an idea, maybe not. Or we could look at our own associations for a personal interpretation.
For me, I planted these two tiny mums in a cobalt blue pot at the doorstep of my studio. On a whim, I painted them. The circumstances of how they happened to be in my field of vision are as important as the symbols themselves. Mine were tiny, not large and full. And most of mine are still in the flat unplanted. Significant? To me, yes! So what about you? Did you plant mums this fall? What attracts your eye to these?
Going back to my technique from yesterday’s post, we could break the word chrysanthemum down. Chry-san-the-mum ~ A simple word association list brings up chrysallis, Christ, san without, the mum, silence, mother. Without the crysallis/transformation, silence? This track may be a bit obtuse for some. You may see something different entirely. Follow the thread that intrigues you most.
The last element here is color. Yellow, violet and cobalt blue. Different people see different meaning in colors. An artist sees these violets and cobalt blues as shadows, yellow as light. The contrast of light and dark is harmony and balance. What do yellow and violet mean to you? How about cobalt blue? Do you love it or hate it? Use the comment section to write your associations, or join me in a free online class Exploring the Meaning of Wildflowers & Dreams.
Each moment, each painting, a dance with the creator together as one.
Wildflowers at the Light House
Explore the Meaning of Wildflowers & Dreams
Wildflowers at the Light House is an interactive Healing Arts Project created to raise awareness and end violence. Join me in sharing wildflowers and sowing seeds of healing. Share this post and spread the seeds. Thank you for your support! ~ Dorothy Fagan
10 Patterns of Verbal Abuse
This form of abuse can be harder to recognize than you may think
It can sound like name-calling, constantly correcting someone’s behavior or yelling at, denouncing or demeaning someone. It can also take the form of a prolonged silent treatment.
If this type of relationship sounds like something you’d never put up with, you’re not alone. But is it possible that verbal abuse is happening right under your nose with your intimate partner and you don’t even recognize it? READ FULL ARTICLE>
If you or someone you know needs help, please call the Laurel Shelter Hotline at 804-694-5552 or 804-694-5890 to speak with an advocate.
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The Laurel Shelter is dedicated to assisting victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. They offer shelter, advocacy, education and support to survivors, legal support, and community education to foster awareness and identification of victims.
Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone.