Whole 'lotta Hosta Love

In a patient waiting area a couple of years ago, I think it was at my dentist's office, that I was thumbing through a tattered Martha Stewart magazine. I saw this great article on Hosta's. I love Hosta's. The issue was a couple of years old, at least this was my justification... because I ripped two pages out of the magazine and quickly put the pages in my purse. I frown upon people who tear pages out of waiting room magazines but I can be a hypocrite. When I got home I added the stolen pages to my huge, torn, black portfolio case. My ancient portfolio is stuffed with images and ideas as well as new and old patterns that I've made. I really need to organize the bulging beast because I had totally forgotten about the Hosta article. I came across the pages this week, as well as some other great but forgotten images when I was looking for something else.

Hosta's are popular shade perennials that come in a variety of sizes and leaf colors. According to the article, in Japan they are also a popular food where their young stems, known as urui are typically steame

d or eaten raw. I don't eat my Hostas but was inspired to make a steel sculpture of one after seeing the article again. I plasma cut individual leaves from flat sheet black iron, then hand bent and shaped the leaves with tip curls and folds at the steel stem. I surface welded bead lines to imitate the variegated lines found in each leaf. My real Hostas are still just pointy little fingers that are just now peeking up from the cool garden soil around the house. The finished sculpture might be included in my Show at Half Moon Creek Gallery that opens next Friday, June 5th -or may just stay in my garden year round because I really like how it turned out.