The Bronx Is Beautiful: Celebrate Plant Life in City Spaces

For my certificate project at the New York Botanical Garden I completed a series inspired by flowering trees in a small neighborhood in the South Bronx.  This particular area is mostly industrial and at first I missed nature peeking through.  Yet there was plenty to be found.  Shifting my attention toward nature I slowed down and became more curious.  I wanted to know more about the specimens and to make new findings.  I wondered about the history of this community and the people who live there.  Since finishing my certificate project I have continued to collect samples from different neighborhoods. It has become my way of getting to know a new community and honoring its beauty.

Exercise:  Try shifting your perspective and notice what other changes come with it.  Is there a neighborhood you'd like to get to know? Try visiting with a new focus on nature.  Be sure to make notes on your observations in your sketchbook or journal.