I have several pine trees in my yard and am forever picking up pine cones. When my blogging friend Loi of
Tone on Tone posted photos of bleached pine cones — along with his posting on mercury glass — I thought I'd share a different sort of pine cone decoration.
You see, I have about eight squirrels living in my yard, and they stay busy in the fall chewing the pine cones down to the core. I think these husks are wonderfully sculptural, and as I've picked up many dozen of them, I've started grading them, and saving the ones most neatly trimmed. (It's my collecting instinct kicking in once again.)
I love the overall texture that my squirrely decorators have worked so diligently to create, and so I've grouped the pine husks in a bowl, almost like potpourri.
I'm thinking it could use another natural element, or two. What would you add?
.
Dear Mark - have you thought about trying to bleach one or two of them like the one on Loi's post, or highlighting some with a touch of gold or silver? I don't think that you necessarily need another element in with them.
ReplyDeleteI love your bowl by the way.
Dear Rosemary - Like you, I thought it might be fun to bleach some of the pine husks, and highlighting some, too. I might even try a copper color. (The bowl was in fact a Christmas gift, and it's Waterford.)
DeleteMark,
ReplyDeleteThese are great! I not only love that you appreciate the beauty of these gnawed masterpieces, the fact that you grade them is priceless.
I think they would look great with dried quince slices.
S.
Steve, I appreciate that you think my decorators have achieved masterpieces, and that my compulsiveness is priceless. I will look into finding dried quince slices.
DeleteI've never (knowingly) seen cones chewed so, and they are indeed quite different. They look slightly reminiscent of corn on the cob, (after). I can't immediately think of what might enhance their beauty...!
ReplyDeleteDear Columnist,
DeleteBefore I moved to this house, I'd never seen pine cone husks like this, either. Your last comment suggests that you are a purist, and your elegant blog would confirm that.
I'm not surprised Mark that you would grade your sculptural pinecones. They look terrific in your beautiful bowl. You could dip one of the cones into gold paint. Or, you could find a squirrel sculpture to place on top of your heap or how about adding a few gilded (there is that gold again) acorn nuts. Actually, it looks great just as you have them displayed and I loved your account of your very industrious squirrels.
ReplyDeleteDear Gina, I'm going to have to rename you Golda! I think you're right that dipping cones would work (as opposed to spraying), but I especially like your idea of gilding acorns. I could see gilding the bottoms and leaving the acorn caps untouched.
DeleteExactly, leaving the acorn caps untouched. I have done just that and have kept them from year to year. I know, gold is it for me, for others it is silver.
DeleteAnd by the way, osage oranges turn an ugly brown color and disintegrate after a few weeks. But they do provide a fantastic green and are favorites for holiday decorations.
Thanks, Gina - I've seen fake Osage oranges in hobby stores, but I don't believe I've ever seen the real thing. That's what I love about blogging — always learning new things!
DeleteI vote to leave them alone. The beauty is in the contrast.
ReplyDeleteDear Barbara - Your vote has been counted, and I appreciate that thought!
DeleteHello Mark, The close-up photo of the pinecone almost looks like a fish. In fact, that is a very Chinese concept to use natural materials that already resemble something to make a sculpture, and it's even fair to help them along a bit.
ReplyDeleteI'm with those who think they would look best left alone--no gilding the lily. I love the contrast between the rough cones and the refined Waterford crystal, but agree that it could use something else. In Ohio we sometimes gathered Osage oranges which have an unusual texture that would go well in this kind of autumnal arrangement. I'm sure you could find the local equivalent.
--Road to Parnassus
Hello, Jim - Osage oranges are a curious fruit, aren't they? It's as though they somehow slipped through the Design Committee. I've looked at images of Osage oranges and see them only as green, though I guess they would change color if dried. Thanks for the suggestion — I'm getting lots of ideas.
DeleteDear Mark,
ReplyDeleteSquirrels are one of my favourite animals.
Painting some of those cones gold and other silver was something I first considered, but then I was thinking that you could also add some pine twigs that still have the pine needles on them to provide a contrasting colour.
Kirk
PS
I like the look of that ornamental footed object just behind the bowl. Is it a candlestick?
Dear Kirk,
DeleteI enjoy watching squirrels because they're so, well ... squirrely!
Perhaps you're right that some color would be welcome, and it would be nice for it to be natural. But what if the contrasting color were to be black? That could be quite dramatic.
The ornamental footed object is one of two living room lamps. They're modern lamps, but look as though they might have been modeled after a Roman artifact (which is why I like them). Come to think of it, they'd be very handsome candlesticks.
Mark
There is such beauty in these naturally shaped objects and gathering them together in a crystal bowl is delightfully original.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment, Paul — I am continually finding designs in nature very inspiring.
DeleteHaHaHa! Those are some hungry squirrels in FL! Geez! Maybe add a few magnolia leaves? Thanks for the link, Mark :)
ReplyDeleteCiao
Loi
:o)
DeleteHello Hello Mark! After a few insane weeks in the salt mines, I'm back. What a fantastic post-- as always, I feel as though ATR is a magical magazine written specifically for me--thank you! I don't know if I should admit to this, but I'm known as the "squirrel girl" in some circles, and as such, I've been lucky enough to receive some fantastic squirrel-themed gifts. Among my favorites is a sterling silver bowl, shaped like a cabbage leaf with a squirrel perched on the edge... You can see it at the top of the "Desk Organizers" page at parvumopus.com, if you like-- I think it would be the perfect bowl for your great heap of squirrel-made sculptures!
ReplyDeleteWarm regards,
Erika
Dear Erika,
DeleteThank you for your very kind words — they made my day, nay, my week!
I visited the expanded parvumopus.com site and saw your delightful squirrel bowl. Erika, you should know that my house is nearly bursting at the seams with the collections of a lifetime, so it is enough for me to admire your bowl's charm from afar and to be touched by your offer. BUT, I will be sending you the squirrels' handiwork, which might not be a elegant as your oranges, but worth a few good laughs!
Thanks again,
Mark