Spring is here at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens

signs of spring are slowly beginning to appear here and there in brooklyn. viewing all of the first blooms of spring together in beautiful compliment at the botanic gardens, however, provides a unique renewal of spirit each year.

today, our craft collective honored the beginning of the spring season by taking a trip to the brooklyn botanic gardens (www.bbg.org) for renewal and inspiration. the trees and plants are recognizing the new season as well, despite the chilly temperatures. we began the day by visiting the steinhardt conservatory, with large glass greenhouses containing refreshingly warm desert and tropical climates and plant life. living in an urban environment, it is exciting to visit the bright abundance of color in the conservatory anytime of the year. there is a unique and wonderous beauty, however, in the subtlety of the start of spring. the contrast of the twisting outlines of numerous enormous bare trees with the soft touches of very detailed color throughout is inspiring.

i realized today that this gift of early spring has been influencing my current crafting projects. i will be listing some new wall hangings soon on etsy, featuring the use of similar contrasts by combining simple wool felt outlines with small bursts of colorful detailed needle felting. i hope they capture the wonder of the rebirth of life that I saw today through the eyes of my two year old niece, sidney.