12 Saturday Mar 2022
Posted in Art, Florida, Gift Ideas, Love
Tags
art, Colorful Art, garden, garden art, garden prints, gardener, gardening, gardens, green plants, healthy, healthy eating, healthy food, healthy living, herb garden, i love plants, plant based, plants, sharon cummings art, tropical plants, vegan art, veganism
Oh I do! I have over 300 orchids in and around my home plus all sorts of tropical beauties. 🙂
21 Monday Feb 2022
Posted in Abstract Art, Art
Tags
abstract, abstract art, art, Colorful Art, garden, green, green abstract, green and yellow, green and yellow abstract, green and yellow art, green art, modern, modern art, modern decor, modern decorating, modern decorating ideas, modern home, modern prints, plants, reeds, sharon cummings art, spring, spring art, summer, summer art, yellow and green, yellow and green art
Spring is coming and I am ready! Fresh green reeds to add some modern elegance and color to any home or office space!
17 Monday Jan 2022
Posted in Art, Gift Ideas, Spirituality
Tags
abstract art, Colorful Art, colorful mandala, delicate, feminine art, floral art, flower art, green art, lace, lilies, mandala, mandala art, mandalas, peach art, peachy, plants, sharon cummings art, white lily
Delicate and yet full of energy. Colorful mandala with a delicate beauty.
11 Tuesday May 2021
Posted in Art, Gift Ideas
Tags
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!
06 Tuesday May 2014
Posted in Uncategorized
Tags
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!
.
. . .
….. . .
. ……….. .
. … . .
. .
.
26 Saturday Apr 2014
Posted in Uncategorized
Tags
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?
18 Friday Apr 2014
Posted in Uncategorized
Tags
bold, botanical, botanical art, botanical photos, botanical prints, clock vine, clock vine flowers, colorful, floral, floral photography, florida, florida botanical gardens, flower, flowers, garden, gardening, gardens, lavender, macro, macro photography, natural, nature, olive flower, periwinkle, photo, photograph, photography, pinellas county, plants, pretty, purple, sharon cummings, spring, spring flowers, spring time, springtime, vibrant, vine, vines, wild flowers, wildflowers
Yesterday me and the hubby went on a little field trip. We found our way to the Florida Botanical Gardens in Pinellas County. Somehow in all of these years in Tampa, this gem has been hidden from me. We frequently drive down to Sarasota to enjoy the Selby Gardend, but this place was also amazing! So many flowers all out in the open to see and smell. The winding paths lead to many beautiful surprises. Plus there is a little heritage village with old houses and buildings that were to be destroyed, but were saved and moved here. What a treat!
It is a macro lens photographer’s delight. 🙂
15 Tuesday Apr 2014
Posted in Uncategorized
Tags
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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
14 Monday Apr 2014
Posted in Uncategorized
Tags
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!
.
.
.
.
13 Sunday Apr 2014
Posted in Uncategorized
Tags
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:
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.
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.
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)
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
Abstract Art by Sharon Cummings 