Watercolour Iris

by Connie Handscomb

Title

Watercolour Iris

Artist

Connie Handscomb

Medium

Photograph - Photography - Fine Art

Description

A little amateur painting in watercolour shows the innocent and quiet mind.
~ Robert Louis Stevenson

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Iris Family = Iridaceae
"Iris", named after the Greek goddess Iris , means 'rainbow' ; wherever she went, a rainbow followed her.

'Flagge' is the Middle English word for reed ; hence the calling of these flowers 'flags'.

These showy blooms offer plenty of landing room for pollinators, with veins acting as guides on the landing strip. The leaves are vertical, grasslike, and assimilate light on both sides.

Iris has a long history as a medicinal herb. A powerful resin in the rhizome ['iris versicolor'] treats numerous ailments, incl heartburn and various stomach ailments, skin diseases, migraines. Iris was used as teething rings for infants, poultices for broken bones, and was even recommended for removing freckles. As a tea, it stimulates the circulatory and lymphatic system. The diuretic drug Iridin derives from the iris. Iris helps to purify water, and improve resistance to certain cancers.

Native Americans tediously wove fibers from iris leaf edges to make strong rope, string, and netting.
Orris root [derived fr 'Iris florentina'] grown extensively on roofs in Normandy, France, is dried and used in perfumery. 'I. tectorum', grown on roofs in Japan, is used to make face powder. Orris is also used in syrups and gin.

The Greek 'machaironion' iris root , ground with flour, made a pasta called : macaroni!
The rhizomes of the iris are used to create perfumes and essential oils.

And finally: according to the Victorian language of flowers, when the fine art of expressing one's (often romantic) thoughts was presented in symbolic poesies of flowers, the iris meant Good News, a Message, Faith, and Hope. Yellow irises mean passion.

An additional addendum about glass: it is not a new material to humankind; in fact, man has been making glass since 4000 BC (some archaeologists date it even earlier than this).

Sources:
The Flower Healers [Barbara Olive]
The Secrets of Wildflowers [Jack Sanders]
Irises.. A Romantic History [Susan Berry]
A Flower Lover's Miscellany [D.Barraclough]
The Romantic Language Of Flowers [Davies;Saunders]

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My original purple iris image, digitally painted as a watercolour :)


♥ Heartfelt Gratitude to FAA Group Iris for featuring this image

Uploaded

April 17th, 2019

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