An Epiphyte Detour

This photo was taken earlier this summer. I really should have mentioned to Gary how enamoured I was with these epiphyte ferns at the time. Perhaps I did and he didn't recall, I can't recall either, but sometimes that's how things go.


Gary went to the fish market today and while he was gone I decided to take a walk outside. I walked by the jelly palm trees and discovered someone had cut all the epiphyte ferns from the trunks of the palms. They were strewn all over the ground and I was devastated. How could someone do such a thing. I suspected Gary had done this thinking the ferns were harming the palm.


I gathered a few of the fern fronds in my hand and carried them inside. There was nothing else I could do for them now. I know it seems silly of me to feel poorly for a lowly fern, but I can't help myself. I do feel these things deeply, probably too deeply. But what can I do, I am who I am.


I laid the few fronds on the table in my studio and thought to make something with their impression to remember them.


I noticed they had sprouted spores ready to reproduce.


I could even see the spores on the front side of the fronds.


Today I took an epiphyte detour and made this vase. I pressed the fern fronds on the front and back, then colored them with many layers of colored slip and made the background green. The vase is about 12 inches tall and 8 inches wide. I'll do some smoothing when the clay has dried a little more; then I'll touch up the slip work. Later I told Gary the ferns were epiphytes and didn't harm the palm trees. Gary said they'll probably grow back; I hope so. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.