Forest Cones Watercolor Series

Inspiration is so easy to come across in the forest. It's a place of peace, refuge, and full of raw reminders of the life and death experiences we will all eventually share. Often on my hikes I'll pick up little nature mementos of the places I go and the feelings that grow in those places. I bring them home where they serve as gentle reminders to choose goodness and gratitude.

Mini-me has exhibited similar habits (...maybe it's genetic? ...maybe environmental?) and for most of her little life has collected pretty much every single pine cone she's come across. She still presents me with fistfuls of cones, and although I don't keep every single one she gives me, I do take the time to look each one over and see what it's all about.

Even though I've examined an infinite amount of pine cones in the last few years, I always find something that surprises me. I have noticed that each one is unique when I take the time to really examine it. I think people are a lot like that, too. When you look at something as part of a collection, you focus on the similarities, but when you look at something individually, you notice the quirky beauty that makes it unlike any other. I selected some of my favorite cones that we've gathered from evergreens in our area to showcase some of the variety we get to enjoy around here in a series of life-size watercolors:

Black Spruce

Lodgepole Pine

Douglas Fir

Blue Spruce

Jeffrey Pine

I spent some serious hours on these, and let me tell you, I got to know these guys pretty well, like, at a personal level. We're pretty much best friends by now, these cones and me. When you get to know something so well you really learn to love it. I love their tiny details and color nuances.

Have you ever been pleasantly surprised at seeing details for the first time on something that previously seemed everyday? It's quite the refreshing perspective!

If you'd like to, you can also see a similar watercolor series of found feathers here.