Great Blossoming

Item

A detailed illustration comparing fertile soil with big blossoming flowers and weeds, including symbolic representations of anxiety, loss, and fear.

Title: Great Blossoming
Alternative Title: Great Blossoming
Creator: Karen Blessen
Date: 2020
Description: The image is a double-page spread in a sketchbook. On the left page, there are vibrant drawings of flowers with labels such as "Love," "Art," "Unity," and "The Great Blossoming." The soil is depicted with roots and worms, labeled "Fertile Top Soil" and "Manure." The right page shows a similar soil setup but with weeds labeled "Weeds," "Anxiety," "Loss," "Doubt," and "Fear of Illness." There are also representations of viruses and a red circular shape with blue spikes, possibly symbolizing a pandemic or disease. The soil is labeled "Same Fertile Soil" and "Manure."
Dates Completed: Feb 17, 2020 - March 29, 2020
Keywords: Great Blossoming; 29 Pieces; Origin story; 15-year anniversary; Covid-19 pandemic; Ankle replacement; Lockdown; Seeds; Garden metaphors; Shitstorm; Lotus blossom; Viral spread; Human care; Kelly’s surgery; Pandemic awareness; Lincoln NE; UNL library project; Frustrations; Phoebe Little; Yale admission; Shelley Thornton; Weeds; Coronavirus genome; Darkness; Recalibration; Post-surgery care; Joy of reading; Lynda II Gordon; Emily Dickinson biography; Lockdown struggles; Daily walks; Neighborhood photography; Grey days; Meditation group; Artistic survival tips; Vision and ethics; End of normal life; Growth cycle; Pandemic virus; Strength components; Tribal identity; National identity; Art from past pandemics; Human contact; Compassion; Sources of inspiration; Hilma af Klimt; Spiritual inspiration; The volcano blew
Transcription: Left Page:
WHEN THERE IS BIG BLOSSOMING,
AND WHERE THERE IS FERTILE,
FLOWERS
Love
Art
Unity
The Great Blossoming
BEAUTY
Fertile Top Soil
Fertile Top Soil
Manure
Manure
Manure
Bones
Worms
INVASIVE
The Same Soil...

Right Page:
THERE ARE BIG WEEDS,
INVASIVE WEEDS,
RICH SOIL; MANURE, GROWTH HAPPENS,
VERY FAST.
Weeds
Anxiety
Loss
Doubt
Fear of Illness
Thoughts of Weakness
Fear of infirmity
Thorn
INVASIVE ABOVE GROUND
Same Fertile Soil
Ve Roots in
Beauty + Light
Bones
Manure
Rights: To inquire about usage, please contact Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries. These images are for educational use only. Not all images are available for publication.
Is Part Of: Great Blossoming
Relation: Image Gallery