Studiology

Poinsettia, the Forward Story

There's a new poinsettia in town, on sale for the holiday season in greenhouses all over America, it's even got a new name, the Princettia. The floral bracts are a bit smaller, the colors are vibrant, shades of pink, from a hot pink to a soft, true pink.

Hybridized in Australia from a different species of poinsettia or euphorbia, it's turning heads and shoppers are scooping them up. 

The parent plant is Euphorbia cornastra or the dogwood poinsettia. Another native of Mexico, this one's distribution is the state of Guerrero, in the southwestern  corner of Mexico. The biggest difference with this species is its flowering time, it blooms in summer, during the rainy season. 

The popular Euphorbia pulcherrima, or standard poinsettia, has a huge distribution. Growing in the northwestern regions of Mexico, extending south to Guatemala. Triggered to flower when days are short, it's in bloom during the dry months of winter. 

The push, at least the marketing tactic with the Princesettia is to sell this new hybrid at other times of the year. The push is for Valentines day, Mother's Day, and the month of October for breast cancer awareness month. Growers have responded to this idea in Europe and Japan, where you might even find a Hello Kitty doll named Princesettia to help with marketing. 

The question becomes, will we overlook the fact that this is still a poinsettia? I'm sure that growers are asking themselves this same question. Is the public willing to overlook a hundred years of holiday poinsettia sales and buy it year-round? We may find out this summer.

 

Holiday Themed

I delivered the last of my altered light bulb ornaments. Working so small is such a challenge. I spend a lot of time stashing things small enough to fit into the opening. Feeling the need to move on to something, anything, larger. 

Have also started creating a new breed of altered Pez dispensers. Finished with a touch of bronze, they look like something recovered after being buried for many years. 

Can't wait to make a whole army of them. Visit "Art a La Carte" in Occoquan to see. 

Poinsettia, the Back Story

The poinsettia has long been a symbolic plant of the Christmas season. A native of Mexico, where it is known as "flor de noche buena" or the Christmas Eve Flower. Samples were collected by Joel Poinsett, an American physician, botanist, and diplomat who served as the first American ambassador to Mexico where he collected the poinsettia to evaluate in the late 1800's. Born in Charleston, South Carolina, his father, a physician, hoped he would become a lawyer. 

The poinsettia is Euphorbia pulcherrima, a bushy member of the euphorbia family with upper leaves or bracts that color while days are short. The bright red floral bracts are designed to lure pollinators to the real flowers, which are small and potentially overlooked. This is typical of euphorbias, the flowers are unisexual, either male or female. The species epithet pulcherrima, means "most beautiful" but also speaks to the female gender of its floral parts.

From there the story gains momentum, primarily with the breeders of poinsettia and the Ecke family. In 1900 Albert Ecke moved to Los Angeles, California from Germany. He was the founder of a spa and vegetarian restaurant in Germany and came to California looking for a better climate to grow fruits and vegetables. Over the course of four generations and three moves he accumulated a lot of land, including some in Guatemala, with the sole intent of growing outside plants, including edibles. His breeding work with poinsettia began in the 1920's. A secret technique was used to make the poinsettia a bushier plant, something he claimed was learned from a back yard gardener in Germany. The technique involved grafting to create new cultivars. The entire world marveled at his results.

The Ecke firm moved from growing (finishing) poinsettias to selling  cuttings. Most of the companies work would be breeding or raising new cultivars. At one point they were the source for 70% of all poinsettia cuttings in America and half of the plants grown outside of the United States. Four generations later they would hold the patent for 30 varieties and produce 100 million rooted cuttings each year.

Paul Ecke III sold the firm in  2012. The company would continue with its breeding program and employees would keep their jobs. Real estate became much of what Paul Ecke III would be involved with. When asked what he wanted to say about poinsettias, his simple reply "They're not poisonous".

 

A Happy Story in The Washington Post

If you know me on a personal level,  you probably know about my artistic twist on Pez dispensers. All brought about by Michael DeMeng, the master of the art of assemblage. Happily it came to the attention of Jonathan Hunley, a freelance reporter for the Washington Post. So in today's Loudoun and Prince William inserts, on the cover no less, is a great article on my altering of Pez dispensers. 

The photograph of myself in the studio might give a clue as to how many little parts it takes to make art out of Pez dispensers, lots of little arms, heads, and sundry little bits of stuff (some may call junk). That's me holding tiny paint brushes, another necessity. 

And as I told Jonathan, I really never know where each one will end, it's like a character that comes to life. 

All are delivered to Art A La Carte in Occoquan, where I hear people laugh when they see them, most not even knowing that they are functioning Pez's. It's a happy story. 

Next Saturday, December 12th, there will be an open house from 3 to 8 PM and you can meet the artists of Art A La Carte. I will be there, ready for a fun evening complete with food, drink and lively chatter. Join me and my little works of art, I'll bring some Pez candy to share. 

Quinn Turns One

Today was a birthday celebration, grandson Quinn turned one. And even though it was a party with a crowd, he handled it well. His mom (the artist) put out beautiful decorations. 

Looking back a year, time goes by so fast. Here he is at four months of age. 

Today he began the practice of  unwrapping presents, although he's still at the age where ribbons and boxes may trump real presents. 

Balloons offered a new kind of game as chubby little fingers held tight, it's amazing how they understand that at such a young age.  

And the tackling of a giant cupcake wasn't too daunting. Happy Birthday sweet Quinn!!!