New Birth (stage 1)

After witnessing the birth of two grandchildren in a single year, I have turned my attention to some of the smallest, most overlooked, most fecund saviors of the planet--the Milkweed seed--scarcely as large as a dime and as thin as a pencil point. Depicting these tiny activists softly ensconced in their pods has taught me the interconnectivity of human birth, plant husbandry, and entomology. The colors in this painting refer to those seen in Flemish portraiture, and the milkweed floss alludes to the white lace ruffs worn in the 16th century by the portrait subjects.