A Study of Cones

For this project the theme that I chose to explore was nature — more specifically: the reproduction of nature. Living in a place blessed with four unique seasons, I have always been intrigued and amazed watching our environment change so quickly and gracefully from one season to the next. With these drastic changes to our environment comes the remarkable life cycle of the plant life that surrounds us. In doing this project my goal was to explore some of these plants and better understand their unique cycle. While studying a single pine cone I found on the ground I became mesmerized by it’s intricacies. These details led me to compare this cone to another that I found beneath a nearby fir tree. It was these subtle differences in the cones that drew me to them and ultimately the reason I chose cones as the subject of this project.

To better understand and appreciate the slight differences in these cones I chose to illustrate them mimicking the style of classic botanical sketches. I felt that this would be the most accurate way to represent the uniqueness of each cone. Each cone is labeled with it’s latin name.