The ridiculous Magnolia Tree is laughing
I think I’ve been out four or five times snapping photos of dad’s big Magnolia Tree this past week. I started when the buds turned pink and I have kept taking photos (lots of photos) until now when the leaves are falling to on the grass below. I’m fascinated with this strange tree, a anomaly in the Swedish nature.
Dad got this Magnolia tree on his 50th birthday and it has been growing in the garden for 13 years now. The flowers bloom on the bare twig and shifts in a purple pink color that is awesome.
One day I decided to paint it in my art journal.
It’s difficult to draw and paint something so complex as a tree, but I think it turned out nice for a first try.
I made a loose sketch and then watered it and watercolored on the wet page. I added some nearby tulips and when the page was dry I wrote a little bit about the Magnolia like I’m now doing here in my blog. Like I said, I’m fascinated by this tree and its behaviours.
I think that the flowers looks ridiculous because the petals are so huge that they fall to the sides like whimsy hats on old ladies. They look like something a drunk artist over-did and had a laugh at. They look too large for the tiny twigs the bloom on, like they shouldn’t be and couldn’t be. But they are, they are! I love that about them.
The Magnolia flowers don’t care that non of the other trees even have leaves this early in the spring… They didn’t care at all and I think maybe they are the ones having the laughs right now.
Magnolia is an ancient genus. Having evolved before bees appeared, the flowers developed to encourage pollination by beetles. As a result, the carpels of Magnolia flowers are tough, to avoid damage by eating and crawling beetles. Fossilised specimens of M. acuminata have been found dating to 20 million years ago, and of plants identifiably belonging to the Magnoliaceae dating back to 95 million years ago.
Isn’t that cool?
Even when the pink leaves have fallen it looks pretty darn cool if you ask me!
Documenting life, that’s what it’s all about.
there’s something about magnolia trees that always make me want to paint. probably the gradations of colour. i’d never thought of them as being comical though. :)
I love magnolia trees – ours are all long bloomed out so it’s lovely to see your Dads and the inspiration it has given you
Wow. I just felt my brain wrinkle.
Beautiful painting!
You did a fantastic painting- these pictrues are so beautiful too….this was a really enjoyable post! :)
So glad you shared with us all the images of the beautiful magnolia. The colors are incredible! Agreed – it is all about documenting life in all it’s forms and glory.
Just love your blog!!
Gorgeous photographs and painting. You captured it very well.
What great photographs and art! A true pleasure. Can’t wait until I have time to look more!
Susan
My parents have a white magnolia in their garden and my only regret is that it looses its flowers so quickly… It is a beautiful plant! *^v^*
What a beautiful pieces of life post ! I love magnolias so much ! I have a small two year old tree in my front yard. You can actually see how many flowers you will have in the fall when the soft furry buds form and lay dormant for the winter. This year we had a record snow fall for New Hampshire and my poor baby lost all of its buds due to the weight of the snow ! It was completely buried for most of that harsh, harsh season so no flowers for me this year! Leaves are just starting to form now so hopefully it will survive its ordeal and I will be sure to build it a winter tent for protection next year !
Thanks for sharing your dad’s magnificient flowers with us all !
Cheers,
Kim
What a wonderful post. Your sketch turned out well, too. I love to see the plants and animals that populate peoples’ lives. I’ve never seen a pink magnolia and didn’t even know they could grow in colder climates. The magnolias I know are the typical “Southern” (U.S.) magnolias with white blossoms and they keep their leaves all year. The ones in my neighborhood are just starting to bloom.
magnolia trees are my favorite flowering tree. i can understand why you’d be fascinated with them!
Känns ju exotiskt med den blomman! Som om det vore i ett annat land…
Roligt att både måla och skriva om trädet/busken.
Beautiful tree and journal page. :)
Oh, I really like your Magnolia journal page
and the photographs! We have a couple in the
park I walk through daily.
God Bless Your Creative Life!!!
I love those magnolia pages in your art journal, just beautiful!
I’ve been looking at all the pictures you’ve taken and wow, are they ever breathtaking. And your watercolor makes me drool. Absolutely lovely. :-)
What beautiful photographs and art. I’m starting a new digital photography class today, and what a role model you are for me. These photographs are stunning and I’m smiling from ear to ear!
Susan