makethiscoldworldbeautiful

[makethiscoldworldbeautiful]

Bougainvillea is so pretty up close, I really enjoy the detail of these delicate white flowers inside. 💗

[makethiscoldworldbeautiful]

Downtown Phoenix, Arizona

This was up against the same wall as before! Just a little further down. I just love how that other side had such a strong emphasis on cool colors; there were dark greens and purples.

In contrast to here, the greens are lighter and warmer greens, and I love the red, yellow and green pots. Even the bricks add a warm vibrancy. There’s so much variation in the textures of the plants and the bench and the wall. I took these as references for drawings and paintings.

I really just enjoyed looking at these. Everyday art and wonder.

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[makethiscoldworldbeautiful]

Hi, my name is Shelby! I wanted to introduce myself for anyone who’s similarly interested. The theme and title for this blog are taken from a Florence and the Machine lyric that took my breath away, and I wanted to write this out to explain why it fits so well with what I created this blog to be about.

“Oh, Patricia, you’ve always been my North Star,

but I have to tell you something:

I’m still afraid of the dark.

But you take my hand in your hand;

from you the flowers grow. And do you understand?

With every seed you sow, you make this cold world

Beautiful.”

Anyways, that song always puts tears in my eyes. I am an amateur artist with a deep love for the great outdoors, environmentalism, and plants in particular. I love to take artsy photos of landscapes and flowers, I’d like to share them here.

By looking with wonder at the tiny details of the world, I have really developed an appreciation for the sheer diversity of life on Earth, and I want to celebrate the littlest of things.

Climate change, corruption and pollution are creating a world that threatens every species, large and small. Even the tiny bugs and insignificant plants that we go through life not caring about have their place in the delicate balance of it all, and if we don’t care about (or don’t even notice) what we are losing, we will be lost too.

I believe there is a lot of hope, and there is a lot that we can still do, but it has to be done. I believe that there’s a lot about this modern world that needs improvement, and I think that starts with caring deeply for exactly where you are. I find the concept of walkable cities fascinating, I have really loved learning more about how invasive species influence areas, and I love hearing stories of success in regard to re-wilding.

I want to use this blog to share my connection with nature, both in my native Northern Californiaand wherever I travel. I think that developing a connection with the natural world is deeply inspiring, and I want to use my artistic hobbies to share that connection with others. I’m going to edit this pinned post as I go along and build this blog further, figure out what I really mean to say. Mostly, I just want to welcome anyone who feels the same.

We can all do a little to help, and I believe that caring deeply is the first step towards real solutions. 💚🌿

Recommendations/things I’ve read that got me on this path:

1. Walkable City by Jeff Speck

2. The Reality Bubble by Ziya Tong

3. In Defense of Plants podcast hosted by Matt Candeias.

4. The Devil’s Teeth: A True Story of Obsession and Survival Amongst America’s Great White Sharks by Susan Casey

[makethiscoldworldbeautiful]

Photos by me.

I think this is the first post I want to make to tumblr because these photos are special to me.

I was on a gorgeous roadtrip through Arizona a few years ago appreciating the Sonoran desert, but I stopped in downtown Phoenix for a coffee, and ended up finding the most beautiful potted plant display I think I’ve ever seen, in a little quiet courtyard by some restaurants. This set really only shows half of the display, even, there was another setup right beside it equally as remarkable. I also enjoy painting, and the level of subtle detail here caught my eye. I took some of these photos as references to paint later.

I’m just captivated by the number of different textures and colors fit into these two planters. How so many unique plants could blend together into such an aesthetically pleasing display. I was out in the desert to marvel at the natural beauty, but I was struck just as hard by the human ingenuity of whoever put those pots together, and the people tending the plants and keeping them healthy. It made me happy for humanity.

I had the book “Walkable City” by Jeff Speck stuck in my brain, as I often do, and I wonder at what humans might achieve if we were more in touch with nature and less in touch with blind capitalism. I want to elaborate more on what that trip taught me, but I wanted to show these flowers first and foremost, because to me they represent hope and creativity and inspiration.

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