Mike Mason for Shape and Color. Fairweather’s September exhibition.

“Kaleidoscope” by botanical artist Mike Mason

Kaleidoscope:
Purple Petunia: enchantment, fantasy, charm, grace and mystery. Desire to be with you because I find you company soothing and peaceful
Calla Lily: magnificent beauty, panache, feminine modesty
Japanese maple leaves: baby hands
Forget-Me-Not: forget me not
Circus Rose: excitement, love, fascination
Pink Martha Washington Geranium: love spell, foolishness, ingenuity, meetings expected and unexpected
Yellow and Purple Pansy: loving thoughts
Iris: message, eloquence, flame, ardor, promise, my compliments
Dianthus: fascination
Double Heleborus: heals sadness, scandal, calumny
Queen Anne’s Lace: haven, protection, I will return

” CAROL’S STAR” by botanical artist Mike Mason.

Carol’s STAR is displayed on a swath of YELLOW and PURPLE Pansies signifying loving thoughts. RED Rose with its message of deep feelings of love, courage, respect and passion, are paired with Violet Violets, and their message of faithfulness, to create each of the four points. Carefully trimmed Purple Clematis outlines the form with sentiments of ingenuity, mental beauty and eternal lastingness. A skirt of PINK Foxglove signifies a wish, and uplifts the PEACH Hibiscus heart,” which is celebrated world-wide for its immortal delicate beauty.

“Electric Sea Holly” by botanical artist Mike Mason.

Electric referring to being “psychedelically enhanced.” Healing BLUE Sea Holly enhanced by similar form but, opposite color, RED Japanese Maple, are the mystical center of vision of this piece. Resting on a modest bed of SULFUR YELLOW Cosmo. Framed by a Tulip stamen fringe promising: fame, the perfect lover, and happy years. This is bordered with Clematis. Clematis is historically connected with sentiments of mental beauty and artifice. The RECTANGLE is then placed on a boastful bed of PURPLE and WHITE variegated Hydrangea to remember. The SQUARE is edged with an invigorating Orange Marigold border encompassing the entire vision with remembrance, health, and joy.

**Mike Mason** working with flower petals.

“A native Oregonian, my medium is truly from the natural world: my paints are dried flowers. Most of the flowers I use for my prints are grown in my garden. They are harvested and carefully preserved to maintain as much of their original color as possible. When dried, many of these delicate flowers are extremely fragile and difficult to work with, having a petal thickness of about .0005 of an inch, about the width of a human hair.

Many of the flowers that I use are commonly recognized garden flowers such as tulips, poppies, roses, vinca, petunias, camellias, carnations and violets. In addition, I use many other wild flowers and even weeds for my compositions. I raise native Oregon plants for sale to retail nurseries specializing in unusual plants; Solomon’s seal, starflower, twisted stalk, licorice ferns, and other Oregon native wildflowers also find their way into my work.

In addition, too, I capture the piece before vital colors fade to offer metal prints made from original flower art to galleries. I am a graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute, with a BFA degree in printmaking.” Mike Mason

Q: What is the language of flowers, you ask?

A: Floriography or the language of flowers is a means of cryptological communication through the use of botanicals, allowing them to express words that could not be spoken.

Photo collage by Linda Fenton-Mendenhall

“Greetings to you and many happy returns of this fine day! Thank you again for letting us share! I was thrilled you liked my dress that I choose for Mike’s artist talk. I cannot wait to see what the universe will come up with for the show. Thank you so much for having Mike and me over to share. We thank you for the notes.
I saw that you wrote that I was a model and was thrilled! You are just a doll and we adore you! Your galley is always warm and wonderful with so many fabulous offerings from so many talents. It is such an honor to be a part of something so special. Warm wishes to you as Summer turns to Autumn. Thank you for making this year so wonderful for us! CHEERS! Anny and Mike