Wednesday 26 September 2012

Dahling Dahlias!

It's that time of year again when Dahlias are adding a huge splash of colour to gardens around here.

 


"Dahlia ...

is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico, Central America, and Colombia. A member of the Asteraceae or Compositae, dicotyledonous plants, related species include the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum and zinnia. There are at least 36 species of dahlia, with hybrids commonly grown as garden plants. Flower forms are variable, with one head per stem; these can be as small as 2 in (5.1 cm) in diameter or up to 1 ft (30 cm) ("dinner plate")." 
 
The Dahlia is Mexico's national flower.
 



"In Europe and America, prior to the discovery of insulin in 1923, diabetics- as well as consumptives - were often given a substance called Atlantic starch or diabetic sugar, derived from inulin, a naturally occurring form of fruit sugar, extracted from dahlia tubers. Inulin is still used in clinical tests for kidney functionality." (Wikipedia)




I have a new camera, my first DSLR (Nikon), and have have been spending a lot of time out taking pictures and enjoying it. Not many words today, but there were a lot of pictures ... I did edit a lot out.





Single rows of petals, multiples or spiky they come in a full spectrum of colours.





"Today the dahlia is still considered one of the native ingredients in Oaxacan cuisine; several cultivars are still raised especially for their large, sweet potato-like tubers. Dacopa, an intense mocha-tasting extract from the roasted tubers, is used to flavor beverages throughout Central America." (Wikipedia)



 






These dahlias looked great from the back and the front.
 



 



 
Opening or fully in bloom they are showy blooms.





These deep red spiky ones were a particular favorite, so I lingered and .....



 



 
















A tear for the end of summer ...

We have just past the Autumnal Equinox here in the Northern Hemisphere; the word equinox derived from Latin words equal and night. So it is officially fall now, the temperatures are dropping and the sun is settling earlier.

Goodbye summer, it was nice knowing you.

My painting "Sweet Serenade" is now up at the Federation Gallery on Granville Island as part of the exhibit "Autumn Salon", on from September 25 to October 7, 2012. The Federation of Canadian Artists Gallery is located at 1241 Cartwright Street, Granville Island, in Vancouver or you can view  the exhibition online by following this link: http://artists.ca/show/autumn_salon_2012 (it is alphabetical, I am at the top of page 6).

Could have, should have, would have but didn't get any paintings finished this week. I took a lot of pictures and I started more than one painting, but alas nothing got finished.

Today I opened my paint box to discover that almost a whole container of masking fluid had emptied inside and covered paints, brushes, erasers; amazing how far a couple of ounces of sticky liquid can spread. I didn't get any painting done but I did clean up most of the mess.

Thank you for stopping by, I appreciate your visit. Happy Whimsy Wednesday, until next time ...
 

19 comments:

  1. Big, beautiful dahlias! I'm afraid most are now gone from our Ontario gardens so I'm envious of yours!

    EW! How awful that the masking fluid made such a mess.

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  2. I love dahlias and this is a wonderful collection of them.

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  3. I love Dahlias, such a beautiful collection, looking forward to some paintings of them. Great news on the camera.

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  4. i really love dahlias, the colors, the varity of buds but never had much luck with them.

    they were always very leggy and falling over.

    you photographed them beautifully!!

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  5. You have showcased an amazing variety of dahlias. You must be enjoying your new camera. Thank you for the link. I'll look forward to viewing the exhibition soon!

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  6. I would have loved to be able to drop by and seen your painting at Granville Island, it feels so odd not being able to just drive down and take a look.

    So a new camera, Nikon, which model? How are you liking it?

    Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

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  7. you are really good at capturing the beauty of your flowers. I almost feel as I could smell them too. :) Thanks for sharing.

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  8. So many beautiful flowers my friend.
    and I am looking forward to seeing your next work of art..

    Hugs~

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  9. Beautiful flowers and photos too. I don't remember ever seeing that spiky red one. The detail in your photos is great - love the last one with the drop of water and the spider webs!

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  10. How exciting to have your painting in the exhibition.

    What glorious shots of the dahlias - so beautiful. And that last one is poignant and lovely!

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  11. Love these flowers. They do really really here in Tucson during the summer and several are truly sunloving! Your shots are gorgeous as always. I look forward to the cooler temps and am rather excited about fall and winter:)

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  12. Lovely dahlias, I didn't know the facts. But, I do now, thanks Gillian.

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  13. Beautiful collection of colors and dahlias, Gillian! Your photos are gorgeous. Congrats on having your painting in the exhibit. Have a lovely day!

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  14. Oh my .... absolutely stunning shots! And congrats on the new camera ..... what kind of Nikon did you get?

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  15. I's say you and your new camera are "a match made in heaven"---absolutely awesome photos of your beautiful dahlias. I too am sad to see summer go--but Fall will bring a new kind of beauty (and cooler temperatures) so I'm looking forward to that. Have a nice week. Mickie :)

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  16. Congratulations on your new camera, Gillian! You are already capturing some wonderful detail and colour. Cleaning up spilled material was a huge accomplishment! I hope to make it over to see your work at the Granville Island exhibit. Well done!

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  17. Well, these are amazing flowers! What a lot of great info and wonderful pictures! I'm so sorry your masking fluid spilled! I hope you can get back to painting soon! BTW, I'v seen inulin on some ingredient lists on food packages but I can't remember what?

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  18. They are so gorgeous and inspiring!

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  19. CC SS J OB 8?
    That's a variety to die for!

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