Botanical Photography by Emma Mitchell

There is a radio show here in Toronto, where the infamous Kim Mitchell (well infamous here in Canada…everybody knows “Patio Lanterns”….) has a spot that he dubs “Damn I wish I wrote that” where he highlights various famous songs that he wishes he wrote. He plays a little diddle on his guitar, fumbles a few notes trying to play some extremely tricky Zeppelin riff, and natters on about how amazing the song is and how he wishes he wrote it. I always chuckle to myself as I know he wishes he was a better musician, and that he could come up with something better than “Go for a Soda”, but I love that he can put all his admiration on the line, and be humbled by it.

Every time I highlight one of these artists on Photosynthesis, I feel like Kim Mitchell. Because I wish I wrote that.

Emma Mitchell is one of those artists. To do something as simple and beautiful as her Botanical Photography, it immediately turns into an art form. She has found the beauty in each individual stem or leaflet that she discovers, and groups them together in a neat little row, and labels them for all of the other plant nerds out there to admire.

She lives in a little village somewhere across the pond, and highlights her creativeness on her blog silverpebble. Every post is a fascinating read, and I am in the process of picking all the chicken off the bone and devouring her posts one at a time. I have just signed up for her handwritten letter exchange, which some 700 people have signed up to exchange creative handwritten letters to random pen pals all over the world. I am in love.

Ken Gangbar

Pottery at a whole new level. Artist Ken Gangbar creates art installations and sculptures that “feature organic shapes arranged in nature inspired patterns” (Stacy Lee Kong, House & Home p. 46). Take each piece for what you will….nuts or cones in the grass, petals floating to the ground, fungus growing on a tree, birds in flight, waves of water, or dandelions blowing in the wind. I could just sit and stare at each piece for hours.

An artist who dabbled in pottery, even from a young age, found his mark after taking different courses in school and experimenting with pottery. “We are inspired by the cyclical patterns and intricate compositions of the natural world. We thrive on spontaneity, and the spirit of experimentation made possible by fearlessness. We strive to emulate the abstract found in the organic.” (Ken Gangbar, Website)

I always admire the process of art…how you can create a shape or an object, a certain brush stroke, and have the vision to turn it into something incredible, like each one of these pieces. Absolutely beautiful.