Embers Against Stone

About this piece

Orange buds and yellow-tipped tubular flowers cluster along upright stems, their saturated color set against a softly blurred rocky background. Selective focus gives the taller bloom prominence, revealing small droplets and the transition from closed buds to open flowers.

The story

I was drawn to the orange before I noticed the shape of each flower. Against the gray rocks, the two stems seemed to hold all the color in the frame. I focused on the taller spike, where small droplets caught the light and the lower flowers opened into pale mouths. Letting the second stem soften behind it, I kept the contrast that first stopped me: delicate flowering forms beside stone and thorns.