Veins of Ember

About this piece

Mike Gedj frames a palm frond as a rhythmic arrangement of tapered blades, their warm colors set against cool, softly blurred foliage. Light reveals fine parallel veins, while the dark central stem anchors the diagonal composition.

The story

I came close enough for the frond to fill my view, leaving the surrounding foliage as patches of blue and green. What held me was the variation within each blade: gold beside rust, a narrow green edge, fine lines running toward the tip. I framed the dark stem off to one side and let the leaflets cross the image. For that moment, the whole place seemed contained in a single leaf.