Saturday, August 6, 2011

The Art in Artichokes

Photo by Alene Mazzuca


I am home, surrounded by fields of lettuce, broccoli, strawberries, and of course...  Artichokes!  Home is Castroville, California, the artichoke center of the world.  Green fields of artichokes surround my parent’s home here, the heads of the thorny globe popping up towards the sky.

Photo by Alene Mazzuca


We are all influenced by our environment.  For my family, vegetables and the commerce that surrounds them are a part of who we are.  We grow up watching the fields change from tilled soil to long green rows of vegetables.  Earthy browns disappear, replaced by rich greens.


Photo by Alene Mazzuca

Photo by Alene Mazzuca

My talented sister has embraced this environment in a beautiful and creative way. She recently went out into the fields with her camera to photograph the artichoke pickers.


Photo by Alene Mazzuca

Photo by Alene Mazzuca

She then transformed the images she captured, creating a tapestry of colors and textures.  The artichoke picker becomes art.

Tapestry and photo by Alene Mazzuca

More details...


Tapestry and photo by Alene Mazzuca

Tapestry and photo by Alene Mazzuca

Tapestry and photo by Alene Mazzuca


Our world and our experiences shape us.

How has your environment influenced you?  How does it impact what you create in your life?
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10 comments:

  1. SchaefliAugust 6, 2011 at 5:02 PM

    Very much!

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  2. SchaefliAugust 6, 2011 at 5:03 PM

    In fact the environment has influenced me a lot.

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  3. JanisAugust 6, 2011 at 5:22 PM

    I enjoyed your post very much. I've been impressed with Alene's art work and creativity in her quilts for years. We've been quilting friends for some time now and she just get better and better.

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  4. UnknownAugust 6, 2011 at 5:41 PM

    It is what we all are!
    BTW your sister is very talented!
    ioana.
    http://karaandandu.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownAugust 8, 2011 at 12:20 AM

    Thanks for your comments, All. My sister is pretty amazing. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousAugust 9, 2011 at 12:32 PM

    So much creativity in one family! Thanks for sharing it with us. :) -Sarah K

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  7. SunnyAugust 10, 2011 at 4:49 AM

    This is really cool! It inspires me a lot!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Silje K NilsenAugust 28, 2011 at 3:52 PM

    I like to be out in nature, it makes me content and peaceful, it gives me energy and inspires me to create. I think you grew up in beautiful surroundings. Lovely post!

    ReplyDelete
  9. UnknownAugust 29, 2011 at 2:47 AM

    Thanks for notes; it is really beautiful on the central coast of California. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. UnknownMarch 3, 2013 at 8:17 PM

    I loved reading this and discovering another creative person in your family!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

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