This month's show is the Encyclopedia Botanica of Arts Upstairs. As we all know there is animal, vegetable and mineral. It seems there are more illegal vegetables than either other one. Why is that? Maybe it's because they are so good, not because they are so bad. Obviously, man is the baddest animal. Oughta be illegal. I suppose Plutonium is the baddest mineral. Whenever the subject of vegetarianism comes up, I usually say I am a humanitarian. Go figure.

Anyway, spring is sprung so let's celebrate the BOTANICAL SHOW in this Art Safari!

ANIQUE TAYLOR goes for the taproot in MOON ROOTS. The dark mystical vegetation conjures up a Jungian Jungle unconcious that we sometimes shut the doors of perception on to impede the centipedes of childhood trauma to our own detriment.

She is so Rousseau.

ANN BYER dips her finger in a soup bowl of chlorophyllian vitreous virtuosity. This tasty dish is called GLASS BOTANICALS.

DEBORAH JOYCE is this month's solo room artist. Hold your horses... FAMILY BONDING sets a good example for all of us.

And we can swish flies off each other's noses at the same time.

DOUGLAS HOUSKA objects to the use of the phrase "found objects."

Maybe MAPLE FACE is a found subject...

ERICA MINGLIS dallies round the rose buds in BLOOMERS.

While the roses are blooming, there is a sans souci insouisance to her distinctively unbloomered, unbridled passions. Or is that poissons?

Did you hear about the spy from Victoria's Secret that got debriefed by the Panty-Gone?

Thongs around the ankles, indeed!

GAVIN OWEN tips his stovepipe hat to Hieronymous Bosch in this peristaltic parable of projectile frog barfing called THE CONJURER (After Bosch)

And he doesn't mean the spark plug.

Notice the pickpocket plucking the purse on the left.

JOAN HALL takes us to an other worldly realm in OTHER WORLDS.

In other worlds, it's a hornet's nest of childhood memories.

In a sea of green, there is a redness.

LAURA RAYMOND is RED TOUJOURS MOI.

And she is a redhead to boot.

MARGARET OWEN has drawn a bead on this painting called BEADED FLOWERS.

Reminds me of those little sugar dots we used to eat as kids. The ones that came on a roll of paper and when you ate them the paper got in your teeth. Remember?

 

Sweet!

MARIE SOLEIL has done some fancy foto footwork in ESOPUS CREEK IN YELLOW & GREEN.

 

If you look close you can see the Didymo... Might be algae but it's NOT!

 

 

NATALIE TURNER takes me to a higher chakra in HEALING ANGEL.

I wonder what a healing devil would look like?

 

YVONNE BROOKS has got the whole plant world in HER HANDS.

It's raining Yvonnes.

YVONNE GUNNER does the seven lotus position with her pulsating petal pushing HIBISCUS.

 

Z WILLY NEUMANN pops the question in PITTED.  Is it an avocado?

I'm not sure, but don't go to sleep with one of these babies next to your bed.