Earth Day, Arbor Day, Peace Trees, Happy Trees...

 I love the yellow tababuia behind our tree. It was in it's prime on Earth Day/ Arbor Day.  For those of you who aren't familiar with the tababuia, the yellow blossoms don't last long and when they fall, they rain down, making bright yellow petal puddles on the ground beneath. Our realtor's daughter named them 'happy trees' so that's what we call them too.

We had quite a show of helping hands from the Multi-faith Education Project and ArtReach Orlando. The bottom tree blessed Winter Park City Hall with it's presence until it joined the other three trees at the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce. Go visit them there!

The trees will bring some festive color to Winter Park's Kentucky Derby event next weekend. I've been commissioned to make another fascinator for one of the hosts. Now I have the fascinator bug and ordered a book, fabrics, and lots of feathers.

I have been making plastic bottle forms since 2004 and I thought I had seen every idea. I should have known better since every group I work with brings new ideas. On Earth Day, a volunteer brought Sharpies so that participants could write messages of peace on  the blossoms and I love the Chinese dragon that one gentleman created, more interested in the engineering than the final product. It is pictured next to a blossom a woman made that I think looks just like a bleeding heart bloom. My former student, Hugh, discovered a striped painting technique I am using for the derby project.

I am so grateful to The City of Winter Park, ArtReach Orlando, and the Muti-faith Education Project for doing so much prep work and making this installation such a success.