Scott-Morris Alice - In this garden: explorations in mixed-media visual narrative

EXPLORATIONS IN MIXED-MEDIA NARRATIVE

Angela Cartwright and Sarah Fishburn
Illustrations by Alice Scott-Morris

WE COME TO THE EARTH, WE RETURN TO THE EARTH,
AND IN BETWEEN, WE GARDEN.

To AngelaA charming English rose who is always up at the crack of dawn to water her flora and fauna. Any afternoon squandered in your little backyard-garden sanctuary feels like home to mesunburn, berry stains, and all!

S. F.

To SarahMy friend who helps my art garden grow with a plethora of words, humor, and imagination.

A. C.

Shortcut through the Gardens:
The Map

A New Orleans Junkyard Garden
Sarah Fishburn

A Shadow Garden Angela Cartwright

Wayfarers Haven
Tiffini Elektra X

Marie Antoinettes Garden
Catherine Moore

As Above, So Below
C. W. Slade

Garden of Zephyrus
Pilar Isabel Pollock

A Community Garden
Lynn Whipple

The Garden Wild
Denise Lombardozzi

The Four Rusted Hearts Garden
Susie LaFond

The Prairie Rose & Sagebrush Garden
Deb Trotter

Down Under Dreamtime
Marie Otero

A Year in the Garden
Erika Tysse

Sketching the Ink
Alice Scott-Morris

Fresh from the Greenhouse:
Artwork for Collage Building

Botany 101:
Glossary

The Arboretum:
Materials and Other Resources

Plant the seeds, and tend the garden

Some men like to make a little garden out of life and walk down a path.
JEAN ANOUILH

So many of us lead hectic lives. We find ourselves rushing from work to meetings and back home again, and then running out the door to the market five minutes before our next meal to grab a jar of this, a container of that only to catch a quick breath and start all over again.

The artful gardens found within these pages celebrate the insouciant spirit we each feel as we step into our own real-life outdoor spaces. We close our eyes and breathe in the mingled scents of earth and verdant plant life. We listen to irresistible birdsong and insect buzz as our imagination roams, and the cares of the world fall away.

Nearly every culture across every continent shares a universal inclination to nurture some form of plant life. Sometimes its an imperativea garden filled with life-sustaining fruits and vegetables; other times, an impassioned pastime a few herbs for adding flavor to the fruits of others gardens. Perhaps more often, our gardens are kept simply for the exquisite and wild beauty of their flowers and the tranquility achieved from time spent in quiet contemplation or dedicated care. In rural, suburban, and urban settings alike, one finds lovingly cultivated plots. Those of us who have no bit of land to call our own satisfy that gardening need with houseplants, window boxes, junk-shop teacup gardens on our windowsills, or if were lucky, in community gardens.

The mixed-media and fine artists and photographers who created the lush and captivating landscapes of In This Garden each began with the tiniest seed of an idea that soon sent forth tentative yet eager shoots and finally blossomed full force into the breathtaking, seductive, and occasionally thought-provoking miniature scenes before you. Pen-and-ink drawings further illustrate and pay homage to each artists garden concept.

From the down-to-earth yet fantastic flora and fauna flourishing in Australia to the elegant fairy-tale garden of Marie Antoinette, from the shadows seen in a traditional English garden as dawn fades to twilight, to a cowgirls barn surrounded by sagebrush and roses, come follow us down quaint paths and landscaped walk-ways. As we wander, explore with us the four corners of a haphazard courtyard in New Orleans, the colors of a wildflower extravaganza, things that grow above and below, and exotic tropical terraces cooled by a zephyr gust. Discover the pleasures of community gardening and witness the gentle passing of the seasons. Experience a garden story remembered and retold, and a sanctuary from the weariness of wanderlustall of these run the gamut from wild to whimsical, and romantic to visionary. Please enter through our garden gates and dont forget to breathe!