Last summer my husband and I spent 24 hours in Arizona. Thanks to our friends, in that single day of sightseeing we have seen so much and liked Arizona so much that we have decided to come back for more with the kids. So, this spring break we flew to Phoenix, revisited places we have seen on our first trip and explored new ones.
I really wanted to see cacti in bloom and the timing was perfect. We took a trip to the Desert Botanical Garden, where we enjoyed walking the paths and looking at the exotic blooms for the whole 1.5 hours - it was HOT! The Desert Botanical Garden held a lot of treasures, but the variety of desert flora was not the most surprising one...
Even before we have entered, while we still stood in the parking lot, we noticed three glorious plants that were towering above a landscaped area near the entrance. The plants were of an unbelievable lime color and it seemed that they were floating in the air and sparkled in the sunshine. They were impossible to miss.
As we approached, I started taking pictures, and only after a few seconds realized that those plants were made of glass. Blown glass. It was the Desert Towers project of Dale Chihuly, the legendary glass artist. The three magical plants looked completely real and organic, they fit the landscape perfectly, and even though I knew they were not real plants, they did look REAL.
When we came home, I kept thinking back to the moment when I realized that these plants were made of glass. The feeling was quite special, and it inspired me to make the piece you see on the right. I am not quite sure what to call it - is it a panel, a suncatcher, a streamer? It consists of three rectangles connected by copper wire loops which allows it some movement when it is hung outside and there is a little breeze. That movement to me makes it a part of the greenery and gives it a bit of life.
A far cry from Chihuly's Desert Towers, nevertheless it is my take at the concept.