by Debbie.lee Miszaniec
Acrylic on Canvas
24 x 48
Wallflowers is part of my Landscape series. Completed in 2015, it serves a very special role:
It is an idyllic image of a perfect day at Fish Creek Provincial Park in Calgary Alberta Canada. What’s more, it is an encyclopedic painting depicting a range of attractive wildflowers which have been declared invasive species, because their hardiness and vigorous growth habits endanger bio diversity in natural areas by pushing out native plant species. This is a problem because animals and insects who rely on those native plant species as food sources may be adversely affected by their displacement.
I created this piece in cooperation with the Friends of Fish Creek Park, as an aesthetic intervention and educational tool. The idea is to educate viewers about invasive species, recognition and control strategies. Educated viewers can get a print of the painting as a resource to keep. The idea is to enjoy the beauty of these invasive species of wildflowers by displaying them on our walls, rather than in our gardens, where they could inadvertently be spread to our parks and natural areas through storm or surface water run off, animal transfer or human disposal. Hence the title of the painting: Wallflowers.
If you would like a print of this work, I would recommend contacting the Friends of Fish Creek Park to find out about the next educational event where the painting will be presented. Either that or watch my newsfeed for announcements of upcoming viewing for this painting.