September 12th, 2020 ..
Our little, baby, boy Pepper passed away with us by his side and covered in our tears. In those moments, as he took his last breaths and his heart stopped, with us all there holding him close, we knew our lives would forever be changed. And so they were.
On a day following his passing.. We heard a knock on the door. It was a flower delivery man, waiting patiently for us to open the door. He stood back and presented us with a sympathy gift from a couple of dear friends of ours.. A White Orchid. It was a bitter sweet moment for us. We love Orchids, but the thought of how Pepper was so curious of them, remained fresh on our minds, making the moment both pleasurable and sorrowful.
On December 13th Pepper's Sympathy Orchid (as I call it) Dropped its final flower
The Orchid Blooms Again! ..
Even though it was tough to see the final flower fall to the ground, we knew it would eventually bloom again. Life has a way of moving along, either with or without us. We are still very much hurting, and morning the loss of Pepper, but we are also healing. The Orchid, again blooming, is a sign that we will heal and brighter days are waiting for us up ahead.
I posted several months ago.. about finding a new bloom stem forming, followed up by it's progress. We had been waiting a good while for this day, and it finally arrived! It was super exciting to see the first flower bud pop open to face the morning sunlight.
Here the plant sits on our breakfast room table
In the time it took me to get my crap together (two days) and write this post, another flower opened. We now have two flowers opened and spreading their joyful beauty. They are so tightly packed on the stem, that I had a hard time getting them both fully in the frame. It is like the one is hiding behind the other!
The one in the back is a little shy I suppose.
When These Orchids Bloom.. There is a considerable amount of stress placed upon the plant. It is putting a great deal of energy into producing those beautiful flowers. I try to keep a close eye on the plant to make sure she is not too stressed out. I look for signs of stress. For example, wilting leaves, shrinking or constricting roots, and/or premature wilting or dropping of flowers.
Our plant appears to be doing quite well. Everything looks good so far!
As you can see below, we still are anticipating roughly 7 to 8 more blooms to open in the coming weeks. It almost appears that another will be opening very soon.. maybe by the weekend.
The White Blooms With Pink Centers.. sort of beckon to be photographed. They are simple flowers, but have just a touch of color and texture, making them interesting to my senses. Plus the fact that the represent my buddy boy's passing, makes them all that much more special to us. I will always associate this Orchid with Pepper.
Some Orchid Photography ..
I bent down a little in order to come at the blooms from a different angle. I wanted to try and get both flowers in the frame, in their entirety. Well, that did not happen. But, when I was practically kneeling on the floor, I noticed that the light from the lamp was creating a rather cool effect. The petals were becoming sort of translucent and sort of appeared as if they were glowing.
I took this inspirational opportunity to capture a few photographic keepers. See what you think ..
**This one I think is my favorite. The petals are a very light whitish pink, glowing with back lighting, and those centers!!! Absolutely beautiful. I may try and recreate this shot with my Cannon equip with macro lens. I think the details will be much healthier.
You know that I couldn't possibly resist creating a black and white. I just can't help myself.
If You Haven't Already, Please Consider Joining My Newly Created Orchid Lovers Community ..
We have a total of 12 member and growing! I know that's not a lot, but that is were you come in. Please consider joining and even creating a post if possible. If you see a nice post about Orchids, don't be afraid to cross post it into the community. I welcome a good cross post!
Thank you!!!
The Orchid Lovers Community
A place for people who Love Orchids!
“Don't be ashamed to weep; 'tis right to grieve. Tears are only water, and flowers, trees, and fruit cannot grow without water. But there must be sunlight also. A wounded heart will heal in time, and when it does, the memory and love of our lost ones is sealed inside to comfort us.”
― Brian Jacques, Taggerung
Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!
All words, pictures and art pieces are the sole property of B D Miller Gallery, unless otherwise noted and credited, and are not to be reproduced or copied without the prior written consent of B D Miller Gallery.
About Me ~ The Artist
My art work incorporates a wide variety of subject matter, including landscape, seascape, cityscape, and still life images. My works are the product of a continuing process of exploration through which I seek to portray personal and visionary interpretations of my surroundings. My paintings are impressions of places and events from everyday life, an interpretation of my imagination, and personal responses to what I see and feel on a daily basis. More recently I have invested generous amounts of time into my landscape painting. I am surrounded by natural and man made beauty, which inherently presents itself in the tri-state area, and almost demands that I paint it.
Not everything is art. Art is not everything, but it comes close. Art is everywhere and all the time. Art makes you experience the beauty of the world, the people in it, and the places we call home. Art itself is so influential that it can tell stories, show feelings, and express passion or fury. Art exists in addition to language; expression of sensations and thoughts, revealing a way of thinking too subtle and delicate for words.
For me art requires love, honesty and perseverance. In return, it reveals some personal, non-analyzable, and creative untamed passion. For the public, art with its magnificent beauty, improves mood and health and builds better human beings and communities. It engages the intellect, softens the heart, strengthens the soul and frees the spirit.
If Your Interested In Purchasing Any Of My Work:
They can be found for sale on
Saatchi Art
Or
Etsy
If you don't see the piece in either shop, It may still be drying. Let me know and I can upload it as soon as possible to be available. Or you can always make me an offer (in HBD, Hive or any other crypto) in the comments section of this post. If we agree on a price, I will then ship the painting to you. (shipping costs will be determined by your location).
NFT Showroom Member
Are you interested in creating an NFT for your art AND using a HIVE based project???
Here Is A Link, in case your interested in listing something yourself!.. NFT Showroom
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The Orchid Lovers Community!
Love Orchids? Consider joining our community. We look forward to seeing you there!!!
The Orchid Lovers Community
A place for people who Love Orchids!