Hemp, Hemp Horray!

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cannabis, cbd, cbd oil, colorful, Colorful Art, colorful plants, healing, health, hemp, hemp fiber, marijuana, plant, plants, primary colors, sharon cummings, sharon cummings art, weed

Hemp is such a fascinating plant. Used to make fabric, treat people with seizures and a great pain reliever. Of course, it does so much more. But I am just sharing the art. Enjoy!

SEE MORE HERE!

I Blinked & Spring is Gone…

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botanical, common weeds, eco, flower, garden, gardening, lavender, macro, macro photo, macro photography, natural, nature, painting, petal, petals, plant, plants, purple, sharon cummings, spring, summer, weeds, wild, wildflower, wildflowers

 

I went outside today to see if there were any flowers left blooming.  In Florida we have a short Winter and then a handful of nice Spring days with bursts of color everywhere.  The azaleas…….the bromeliads……and then it all dies………….9 months of HEAT. Not much grows in Summer except the grass and weeds.  All of my irises are brown and crispy looking.  The lilies look like beef jerky.  But this little group of tiny dancers was still celebrating, so I snapped them quickly before the sun was full in the sky.

I will be in my studio painting now for a good long while……..expect some new acrylic work very soon!

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What ARE These?

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botanical, common weeds, eco, flower, garden, gardening, macro, macro photo, macro photography, natural, nature, orange, pale yellow, petal, petals, plant, plants, sharon cummings, soft, weeds, wild, wildflower, wildflowers, yellow

 

I like to walk around with my camera just seeing what I can find.  I love old buildings and garbage piles because often the most interesting photos are there.  These beauties were growing proud all along an abandoned restaurant. They were not in neat little rows, but wild and rangy. They were large flowers, so I do not think they are weeds.

Do you know what type of flowers these are?

When It Rains It Pours…

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abstract fish, angel fish, aquarium, beach art, beach house, blue abstract, blue art, blue fish, bradenton florida, caladium, colorful fish, contemporary art, contemporary fish, coral reef, dive, diving, fish, fish art, fish paintings, fish tank, florida, florida keys, gardening, hawaii, islands, miami, modern art, modern beach house, modern fish, mosaic, mosaic art, mosaic fish, mosaics, plant, plants, sarasota, scuba, scuba diving, tropical, tropical decor, tropical fish, tropical fish art, tropical fish paintings, underwater

 

Not only have we been getting these little showers here in Florida, custom commission work has been pouring in as well. 🙂  As you can see below, I am still working hard on my fish for the big hotel project in Key West.  I am also creating special pieces for my collectors.  I spoke with a woman last night who lives in Hawaii.  She is commissioning a very sentimental piece to hang in her home that she shares with her partner. They are commemorating their lives together so far.  And my piece will signify their prayers that they would find each other before they met.  As always I am honored to be a part of so many people’s lives in such an intimate way.  And also grateful just to add beauty to the World.

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S.U.C.C.U.L.E.N.T…

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art, art buyer, botanical, building, business, cacti, cactus, canvas, colorful, construction, contractor, corporate, decorating, decorative, desert, echeveria, floral, framed, garden, gardener, gardening, gift, homes, horticulture, hotel, house, houses, interior design, interior designer, jade plant, landscaping, model home, motel, office, paintings, photo, photographs, photography, plant, plants, prints, retreat, sharon cummings, southwest, southwestern art, spa, succulent, succulent garden, succulent plants, succulents, wall art, wall decor

 

The word “succulent” sounds titillating.  You can almost “feel” what it means as it rolls off of your tongue.  Say it right now.  Slowly…

O.k. maybe I just wanted to use the words “succulent and “titillating” in the same sentence. 😉  But these beauties grow all over the place in Florida.  They seem to be just as happy in our tropical swamp as they are in the dry air of the desert.  But with thousands of varieties available, they do have varying care requirements.  So if you want to grow some of these beauties inside or out, read the labels on the plants before buying.  They do love bright sunlight, but they can get sunburned.  I have seen a few wither and die myself.

I love the smooth feel they have and the variety of colors they come in.  I’ve taken artistic liberty with this one obviously.  I was intrigued by the interesting shapes and shadows in this plant.  Nature is my inspiration!

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You Had Me At ALOE…

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aloe, aloe vera, botanical, botanical photography, botanical photos, botanical prints, cottage, country, desert, desert art, desert photos, flower, flowers, garden, gardens, healing, herbs, holistic medicine, medicinal plants, medicine, plant, plants, sharon cummings. photograph, southwest, southwestern, southwestern decor, succulent, succulents, sunburn, vera, western, wildflowers

 

Another beautiful day in Florida and I was out early with my camera.  We have the most beautiful aloe plants growing all around our property and the humming birds love them.  I am not sophisticated enough as a photographer yet to start capturing those speedy little birds, but I did get some nice shots of the aloe flower spikes.  They are so delicate.  I use the aloe leaves for skin irritations and they are quite healing.  I wonder if the flowers are useful?  Here are some ways that the leaves benefit us humans:

1.  Aloe Vera Is High in Vitamins & Minerals:

Aloe Vera contains many vitamins including A, C, E, folic acid, choline, B1, B2, B3 (niacin), B6. Aloe Vera is also one of the few plants that contains vitamin B12.

Some of the 20 minerals found in Aloe Vera include: calcium, magnesium, zinc, chromium, selenium, sodium, iron, potassium, copper, manganese.

2. Aloe Vera is High in Amino Acids & Fatty Acids

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. There are about 22 amino acids that are necessary for the human body and it is said that 8 of these are essential. Estimates of the amino acids found in aloe range from 18-20 amino acids, with all 8 essential amino acids.

Alove Vera also includes quite an impressive range of fatty acids. Aloe contains three plant sterols, which are important fatty acids- HCL cholesterol (which lowers fats in the blood), campesterol, and B-sitosterol. All are helpful in reducing symptoms of allergies and acid indigestion. Other fatty acids include linoleic, linolenic, myristic, caprylic, oleic, palmitic, and  stearic.

3. Aloe Vera is an Adaptogen

Aloe Vera is a well-known adaptogen. An adaptogen is something that boosts the body’s natural ability to adapt to external changes and resist illness. It is thought that aloe’s power as an adaptogen balances the body’s system, stimulating the defense and adaptive mechanisms of the body. This allows you an increased ability to cope with stress (physical, emotional and environmental stress like pollution)

4. Aloe Helps with Digestion

Poor digestion is related to many diseases. A properly functioning digestive tract is one of the keys and foundations of health. Aloe is known to soothe and cleanse the digestive tract and help improve digestion. The interesting thing about taking aloe internally is that, because it is an adaptogen, it helps with either constipation or diarrhea, helping to regulate your elimination cycles in whatever way you need.  It’s been a great remedy for people with problems such as irritable bowel syndrome as well as acid reflux. Aloe also helps to decrease the amount of unfriendly bacteria and in our gut keeping your healthy intestinal flora in balance. Aloe is also a vermifuge, which means it helps to rid the body of intestinal worms.

5. Aloe Helps in Detoxification

Aloe Vera is a gelatinous plant food, just like seaweeds and chia. The main benefit to consuming gelatinous plant foods in your diet is that these gels move through the intestinal tract absorbing toxins along the way and get eliminated through the colon. This will help the proper elimination of waste from your body and help the detoxification of your body.

6.  Aloe Alkalizes the Body

Disease cannot manifest in an alkaline environment. Most people are living and subsisting on mostly acidic foods. For great health, remember the 80/20 rule – 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acidic. Aloe vera is an alkaline forming food. It alkalizes the body, helping to balance overly acidic dietary habits

7. Cardiovascular Health

There hasn’t been a lot of studies conducted in this but there has been some research to show that Aloe Vera extract injected into the blood, greatly multiplies the oxygen transportation and diffusion capabilities of the red blood cells.

According to a study published in the 2000 issue of the British Medical Journal, beta sitosterol helps to lower cholesterol. By regulating blood pressure, improving circulation and oxidation of the blood, lowering cholesterol, and making blood less sticky, Aloe Vera juice may be able to help lower the risk of heart disease.

8. Aloe Helps Boost the Immune System

I think given the stresses of our daily lives, every one can use a boost to their immune systems. The polysaccharides in aloe vera juice stimulate macrophages, which are the white blood cells of your immune system that fight against viruses.

Aloe is also an immune enhancer because of its high level of anti-oxidants, which help combat the unstable compounds known as free-radicals, contributing to the aging process. (Free radicals are a bi-product of life itself, it is a naturally occurring process but we can overload ourselves with unnecessary free-radicals by living an unhealthy lifestyle) Aloe is also an antipyretic which means it used to reduce or prevent fever.

9. Aloe Vera is Great for the Skin

Because of aloe’s well-known healing properties for the skin, aloe is one of the primary compounds used in the cosmetic industry. It is a known vulnerary, (meaning it helps heal wounds) and is great for applying topically to burns, abrasions, psoriasis and even to bug bites. Aloe acts as an analgesic, acting to help relieve pain of wounds. It’s feels especially good to cut a stem of aloe, place it in the fridge and rub it on sun burnt skin – the immediate soothing effect feels like an absolute lifesaver. Aloe is also an antipruritic: A substance that relieves or prevents itching. Aloe Vera is an astringent: which causes the contraction of body tissues, typically used to reduce bleeding from minor abrasions.

Due to aloe’s high water content (over 99% water) it is a great way to hydrate, moisturize and rejuvenate the skin and fits within my general guideline: “Don’t put anything on your skin that you wouldn’t eat!” Aloe increases the elasticity of the skin making it more flexible through collagen and elastin repair. Aloe is an emollient, helping to soften and soothe the skin. It helps supply oxygen to the skin cells, increasing the strength and synthesis of skin tissue and induces improved blood flow to the skin through capillary dilation.

10. Disinfectant, Anti-biotic, Anti-microbial, Germicidal, Anti-bacterial, Anti-septic, Anti-fungal & Anti-viral:

Wow, I think that covers all anti- bases. Okay, I admit, that was just a sneaky way to add in another 8 good reasons why you should keep Aloe Vera handy and incorporate it into your lifestyle. Aloe Vera’s active ingredients are sulphur, lupeol, salicylic acid, cinnamic acid, urea nitrogen and phenol which are substances that prevent the growth of disease-causing microorganisms and act as a team to provide antimicrobial activity thus eliminating many internal and external infections, also active against bacteria. It also helps to treat fungal and viral infections.

Source:  Sacred Source Nutrition

Gettin’ W.I.L.D.

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botanical, common weeds, eco, flower, garden, gardening, lavender, macro, macro photo, macro photography, mother nature, natural, nature, orange, pale yellow, petal, petals, plant, plants, purple, sharon cummings, soft, stamen, weeds, wild, wildflower, wildflowers, yellow

Wildflowers that is.

It’s Spring here in Florida and all of the beautiful flowers are in full bloom.  We went out on a photo shoot this weekend and there were so many to choose from.  Hibiscus and bougainvillea were plentiful.  And the stargazer lilies were absolutely stunning!  But as I was snapping away, I realized with a macro lens I can find beauty far beyond the typical floral fare.  So I got on my hands and knees and started looking at the plants and flowers along the raggedy fences. The little “weeds” and scrubs had my full attention for the day. I was absolutely amazed at the beauty I found in these things we normally mow down and look over.  It’s another world of magnificence!

The lavender specimen above revealed to me the most delicate purple hairs with dancing bursts of yellow rimmed in black. Seriously WILD!  The yellow soft surprise below opened it’s inner world to me with a show of orange and delicate veins.

Nature: I bow to you in even your seeming insignificance.  I no longer see “weeds” in my garden. 🙂

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Are You Growing?

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abstract, acupuncture, art, art licensing, art print, artwork, botanical, bright green, calm, canvas, chartreuse, chiropractic, circle, circles, clinic, color, colors, design work, energy, fish, florida keys, geometrical, grass, green, green abstract, green art, green painting, greenery, grow, growing your career, growth, healing, health, hotel, hotels, kelly green, large projects, leaves, licensing art, life, lime green, meditation, mint green, office, painting, peaceful, plant, plants, print, sharon cummings, soothing, spirit, spiritual, studio, tropical fish, wall art, wall decor, yoga

Sometimes it feels like your life is in a rut and there is no way out.  You have lots of seeds planted, but nothing is happening.  There is plenty of creative sunshine and marketing water, but the seedlings stay the same size.  You keep doing what you’ve always done and you get the same results you’ve always gotten.

Just when you start to feel a little stale like there is nowhere else to expand, something happens to let you know that there is always room to grow.  Whether it is in a relationship, your health or career, you can always find new avenues to take you to destinations that will increase your satisfaction in life.

I am super busy this Spring with many projects in my fire, but they are all tasks that I have been doing for years.  Nothing new.  So I was delighted when an art consulting firm in Atlanta contacted me about designing art for a new hotel.  Right now, I only know they want tropical fish, 8 unique pieces and that it will have a Florida Keys theme. Talk about right up my alley!  Or should I say coral reef. 😉

So I am growing into new opportunities with my artwork.  The most important thing you can do to move in new directions is be “open” to them.  Right now I am WIDE OPEN!

Hope Springs Eternal

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art, art prints, common beauty, garden, gardening, growth, macro, macro photography, macro photos, natural, nature, photo, photography, plant, plants, prints, seasons, sharon cummings, signs of spring, wall art, warm weather, weed, weeding, weeds

 

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/hope-springs-eternal-macro-photography-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

I have been super busy painting commission work lately and they are all HUGE!  But I am not letting the World completely go by me.  I try to take time each day to get outside into the sunshine and fresh air.  To commune with nature.  I am ever amazed at how strikingly beautiful the World is “up close”.  Through my macro lens even a common weed is bursting with beauty. This one reminded me of stars and snowflakes……Ahhhhh  taking time to smell the roses….or in this case the weeds. 🙂

Creativity vs. Skill

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aromatherapy, botanical, botanical prints, bud, buds, calm, calming, cottage, essential oil, essential oils, field, fields, flora, floral, flower, flower garden, flowers, fragrant, france, french, french lavender, garden, health, herb, herb garden, herbs, homeopathy, lavender, lavender oil, macro, macro flower, macro photo, macro photography, micro, micro photography, natural healing, oils, peaceful, plant, plants, purple, relax, relaxation, relaxing, selby gardens, sleep, sleeping, traditional

 

As I continue my photographic journey I am realizing that a good picture has more to do with creativity than skill.  Skills can be learned, but imaginative expression cannot.  Having shifted my focus recently from my paint table to my camera, I am viewing the world a lot differently.  I am not looking to simply copy what other photographers are doing.  These days with the advent of virtually full-proof cameras, anyone can take a picture of a pretty flower and have it look really good.  I am looking for things that are slightly different.  Perfect flowers can be boring and I am anything but that.  I seek out the slightly edgy or spent.  I want flowers missing from the spray.  I look for torn edges and unpopular subject matter.  Sure, I will capture a perfectly beautiful rose when it happen to be in my visual path, but I am not looking for them.  

This piece titled “Lavender Dance” was a single shoot with missing flowers in a patch of perfectly lovely lavender sprigs.  I liked that nature had taken some of it’s beauty, yet left some for me to capture still….

My skill will improve over time and I hope my imagination will too!