Linda Nagy
On Tuesday, March 20 the SaddleBrooke Photography Club ventured to the Tucson Botanical Gardens to explore the plants and nature combined with the ancient art of Japanese Origami. Twelve members of the club strolled the Gardens looking for unique shots while following an assignment. From the day of photographing as if there wasn’t enough inspiration, the group captured images of such things as a close-up flower, an Origami sculpture, people with Origami, garden landscape, flower pot, silhouette, critters and a low angle shot, plus more. Besides the giant sculptures, the Cox Butterfly and Orchid Pavilion offered exotic butterflies, tropical plants and colorful dart frogs to photograph at close range.
The Origami in the Garden exhibit takes one’s experience of small, delicate paper art to another level by creating larger than life images blending in with the natural landscapes of the Gardens. Artists Kevin and Jennifer Box created the show along with world renowned Origami masters Michael G. LaFosse, Beth Johnson and Robert J. Lang. Simple paper creations were transformed into sheet metal museum quality sculptures that can withstand weather and time. The metal sculptures were finished with paint, patina, and powder coating so that they give the appearance of paper. Each piece took up to a year to complete. Although the exhibit at the Tucson Botanical Gardens ended April 1, 2018, there will be a similar show at the Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson. They are having an Ikebana Fall Floral Festival from November 21-26. The Tucson Botanical Gardens is an excellent place for people of all ages to connect with plants and nature along with art, science and history.
The photo outing on Tuesday was SaddleBrooke Photography Club’s second visit as a group to the Gardens. No matter how many times one attends, there is always something new and awe-inspiring to discover. Club members completed their tour of the Gardens with delectable lunch selections at the Café Botanica. The SaddleBrooke Photography Club is open to all levels of photographers and has open studio on Wednesday and Friday mornings in the Agate Room of SaddleBrooke TWO. There are also planned outings throughout the year and a general meeting once a month. Usually at the monthly meeting, members can submit photographs to be shown to the group. For more information check the website, www.SaddlebrookePhotographyClub.com.