Inspired By Nature’s Artistry
Last week, while our youngest son, Eli, visited us, we went canoeing on Ada Lake in Langlade County, WI, part of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
From the input, we guided our canoe into the crystal-clear water. We were surrounded by a lush forest and a blue sky, both of which reflected in the water as we paddled. A spacious, broadened landscape surrounded us with the sounds of gentle movements in the water, the calls of red-winged blackbirds, the expansive wings of a heron, and bullfrogs in the shallows of rocks, fallen trees, and mossy banks.
Taking our time, we canoed the perimeter of Ada’s sixty-five acres. We drenched ourselves in the peacefulness of floating.
My perception shifted from the panoramic view of a wooded shore to the finer details of artful lines created by the leaf-miner nymphs on lily pads. It is a marvel to me how nature’s design inspires and influences artistry.
One of the basic elements of art is line, and it had been drawn by a tiny creature unseen, that made its existence known to me by this fine detail on its lily pad canvas. Lines in art can be drawn thick or thin, creating emotions from calm to agitated. Lines can produce rhythm in art, as they define contours that shape forms and create visual interest. Line can be doodled or more rigid, defining specific hard edges.
The leaf-miner trail is a doodled, meandering line that crosses over itself, curved to appear as if it touches the water and then returns into the leaf.
As the lily pads floated on the water, the ‘drawn’ lines curved across them were the color of the surrounding water. What was curious to me about these particular lines was that when I lifted the lily pad out of the water, the lines were transparent.
I wanted to learn more about these ‘linear artists’ who had left behind twists and turns for me to notice. Winding trails created these living lines as the leaf miner nymphs nibble away between the top and bottom layers of the lily pad leaf.
According to an article posted by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Field Station, the epidermis layers contain chloroplasts that carry out photosynthesis, and the veins of the plant provide food and lodging for the leaf-miner living between the cells.
In discovering these trails left on the lily pads, I am inspired to develop future ideas for my small artworks. Have you noticed artful lines in nature that bring you joy? Please feel free to leave your comments below.
