I am pretty old, but I was not born in 1669. However, a Dutch painter, Maria van Oosterwijck, was fascinated by dragonflies and butterflies, as I am, and included them in a floral painting called Flower Still Life that she completed in 1669. Molly Lin Dutina, one of my faithful subscribers, thought of me when she saw the painting in a museum recently and wrote this delightful blog posting. Be sure to check out her blog Treasures in Plain Sight for more of her postings that are thoughtful, inspirational, and always a joy to read.
He seems to follow me everywhere! His interest in dragonflies, butterflies, flowers and nature in general keep me intrigued with his blog. Until he gets to the snakes. Then I tune him out. Yuck. https://michaelqpowell.com/2020/09/04/dragonfly-and-duckweed/
Because of him I am exponentially aware of dragonflies, though I cannot identify hardly any of them. As my oldest friends are aware I love butterflies, but Mike researches his and posts details about them. I merely admire. Well, except for the monarchs and especially their caterpillars. My husband and I garden milkweed especially for those!
Recently Bob and I made a trip to the Cincinnati Art Museum, wearing our masks and social distancing in the almost deserted museum. One exhibit was called “Women Breaking Boundaries” and this painting was done by Maria van Oosterwijck in 1669 entitled Flower Still Life. I was admiring the flowers: nasturtium, peony, tulip, lily of the valley, carnation or…
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Mike Powell 
Thank you for this post Mike, I found it fascinating…
Thanks. Molly and I had discussed the painting off-line, but the posting itself was a bit of a surprise to me.
Really funny first line, Mike. And a wonderful tribute from Molly to you and your artistry, Mike. I went to her site and that is such a rich and elegant painting.
As you can tell, Jet, Molly is quite an engaging writer. Her opening line is so well done that it attracts the attention of readers and draws them in. When I read her posting, I felt compelled to re-post it. It is not so much that I want people to read about me, but more that I want more folks to be able to be exposed to her blog.
What an absolute treat! I’ll bet you would enjoy the work of Lisa Toby Goodman. A Bay Area friend. http://www.lisatoby.com
Thanks for sharing Lisa’s work, Michael. There is a surreal quality to her floral shots that simply mesmerizes me.
She would enjoy hearing from you.