| Midnight Comet |
| Original Oil on Canvas, 12" x 18" Hand Gold Leafed Frame |
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American Orchid Society - Director of Education Note:
Angraecum sesquipedale, the inspiration for this piece, is endemic to the island of Madagascar. First discovered by the French
botanist Louis-Marie Aubert du Petit-Thouars in 1798 it was not formally described until 1822. This spectacular orchid with its
extremely long spur is noteworthy for its association with the naturalist Charles Darwin. The long spur, white flowers and
fragrance only during the late evening hours led Darwin to postulated that the flower was pollinated by a then undiscovered moth
with a proboscis whose length was then unprecedented. Not until 21 years after his death was this moth, Xanthopan morganii
forma praedicta discovered and his hypothesis vindicated. The story of its postulated pollinator has come to be seen as one of
the celebrated predictions of the theory of evolution. Angraecum sesquipedale is a native of lowlands below about 330 feet near
the east coast of Madagascar. Here it is found near the edges of forests growing on trees where there is a great deal of light and
air movement, critical to successful culture. This habitat is characterized by rainfall often exceeding 150 inches/year without a
discernable dry season. Drying out of the habitat due to erratic rainfall patterns critically impact the survival of this species.
Angraecum sesquipedale, the inspiration for this piece, is endemic to the island of Madagascar. First discovered by the French
botanist Louis-Marie Aubert du Petit-Thouars in 1798 it was not formally described until 1822. This spectacular orchid with its
extremely long spur is noteworthy for its association with the naturalist Charles Darwin. The long spur, white flowers and
fragrance only during the late evening hours led Darwin to postulated that the flower was pollinated by a then undiscovered moth
with a proboscis whose length was then unprecedented. Not until 21 years after his death was this moth, Xanthopan morganii
forma praedicta discovered and his hypothesis vindicated. The story of its postulated pollinator has come to be seen as one of
the celebrated predictions of the theory of evolution. Angraecum sesquipedale is a native of lowlands below about 330 feet near
the east coast of Madagascar. Here it is found near the edges of forests growing on trees where there is a great deal of light and
air movement, critical to successful culture. This habitat is characterized by rainfall often exceeding 150 inches/year without a
discernable dry season. Drying out of the habitat due to erratic rainfall patterns critically impact the survival of this species.
PLaspino Images © Patricia Laspino. All Rights Reserved | Content © Evolution Art Group LLC 2013 | info@evolutionartgroup.com | Contact Us
| Original Paintings |
| Patricia Laspino |
Gallery
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| Artist's Notes: "With deep reverence emphasizing form and essence, I have portrayed the 'comet orchid' (Angraecum Sesquipedale). My desire is to encourage the experience of connections in nature and thus, in ourselves. Portraying the drama of orchids is for me the experience of creating organic metaphors. My focus on the relationships between the macro and micro of nature compels me to cross the boundaries between scale and space. I'd like nothing more than to have the viewer experience the joy I feel when I become the flower I paint. There lies the bridge between human being and nature." |