In GA we found grandchildren throwing piles of oak leaves. After the rains many of those leaves were flattened and silhouetted on the sidewalks. That's when I noticed that I had never seen the likes of them anywhere here up north. To remember the different shapes I started giving them names. Finally I began looking them up and discovering the real names. Much fun.
This assignment turned out to be pure gift and a joy. It was looking over the shoulder of the Master Designer. Even though a single tree replicated the design with a thousand variations, each leaf seems to hold its unique blueprint intact. Often my attempts to copy, if missing a subtle bend or a sharp point, were not just other variations on a theme, but a skewed design.
ReplyDeleteThe Southern Red Oak (Dinosaur Foot), one of my favorites, is an example. The mirror image "L" shapes on opposing edges are always with one slightly higher than the other. This same slight alternation is verified, and no doubt somehow caused by, the alternate veins in the center of the leaf. Just looking at the silhouettes you can predict the veins.
Leaves are really tough. I tried to draw a few piles of them, and I can't get a good balance between too much detail and too vague. Leaf piles are complex 3D shapes! Single leaves are fun though, they're good experiments in perspective and curves.
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