December 3, Juanita Bellavance, Maypops and Cattails!, From the 25 Days of Minis Portfolio, 2022, Acrylic on panel, 8 x 8 inches, Framed-9.5 x 9.5 inches

The thrill of maypops in the Spring along the half-mile-long dirt driveway to my grandparents' house lingers in my mind even today. As children, we immediately went looking for the maypops to stomp the bulbs and make the passionflowers into little people floating in water like a water ballet. Captivated for hours.

Then in Autumn, we loved to trek a couple of miles out to the pond where the cattails were in season. I thought they were the most beautiful velvety-looking things. I couldn't take my eyes off them. In high school, one of my favorite home-economics projects was when we made a huge wreath using the soft inner shucks of corn and cattails. We filled the wreath with corn shuck "flowerets" and interspersed cattails for interest after lightly spraying the shucks with metallic green-gold paint. I used that wreath on my door for many years into adulthood.

I just noticed this is the second mini where I juxtaposed two seasons into one painting. Kind of fun!

Part of our 25 Days of Minis 2022 collection. Collect them all!