Wonders Magnified

Work celebrating the world of Nature beyond the scope of the human eye yet very much alive for eons.

A visual voice expanding awareness, wonder and the network of life with which we are intrinsically linked.

Flourish

hand-built ceramic, steel, silver leaf, 10” x 11” x 7”

A blossoming homage to the wonder of diatoms, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University’s Herbarium Collection and its matriarchal contributions. Created for Invisible World of Water Exhibit at ANS in Philadelphia. Including a nod to the art of Victorian diatom arrangement, ice crystals and snowflakes featured in the exhibit. The title references the ancient symbol of sacred geometry, the Flower of Life. Its feminine energy embodies the cycle of creation and the blueprint and interconnectedness of the universe.  See Flourish Legend below for full details of each diatom.

View A - Diatoms: Ice & Snow

View B - Diatoms: Matriarchal Homage

This view honors the trailblazing founder of the Academy of Natural Sciences Herbarium, Dr. Ruth Patrick and its current sitting curator, Dr. Marina Potapova. Diatomists name species they discover and become namesakes for diatoms named in their honor as the legend below reveals. The matriarchal bloom celebrates their illuminating contributions to science, education and environmental preservation.

View A - Diatoms: Ice & Snow, species: habitat/geographic range (notes)

1. Melosira echinata: freshwater,waterfalls/known only from Tropics

2. Luticola nivalis: freshwater, soils/cosmopolitan (found at Quelccaya Summit Dome, Tropical Andes, Peru, ice core, Holocene age)

3. Hantzchia amphioxys: freshwater, soils/cosmopolitan (found at Quelccaya Summit Dome, Tropical Andes, Peru, ice core, Holocene age)

4. Luticola stigma: freshwater, soils/cosmopolitan

5. Grunowia tabellaria: freshwater/cosmopolitan

6. Rhopalodia rupestris: freshwater/cosmopolitan

7. Pinnularia borealis: freshwater, soils/mostly in colder regions

8. Fragilariopsis oceanica: marine/Southern Ocean (sometimes gets trapped in the sea ice)

9. Stauroneis phoenicenteron: freshwater/cosmopolitan

10. Discotella laskaskarluki: freshwater, lakes/colder regions of the Northern Hemisphere

11. Triceratium digitale: marine/known from a fossil deposit of Miocene age

12. Triceratium pentacrinus: marie/known from a fossil deposit in Greece, Miocene age (inspiration: Haeckel drawing)

View B - Diatoms: Matriarchal Homage, species: habitat/geographic range (notes)

This view honors the trailblazing founder of the Academy of Natural Sciences Herbarium, Dr. Ruth Patrick and its current sitting curator, Dr. Marina Potapova. Diatomists name species they discover and become namesakes for diatoms named in their honor as the notes reveal. The matriarchal bloom celebrates their illuminating contributions to science, education and environmental preservation.

13. Skeletonema costatum: marine/cosmopolitan (inspiration: 19thc drawing Dr. Marina Potapova shared on a visit to ANS)

14. Caloneis lewisii: freshwater/cosmopolitan (named by Patrick to honor diatomist F.W. Lewis)

15. Hydrosera whampoensis: brackish, freshwater/warm water (common in warmer areas globally like waterfalls in Hawaii & in the Delaware River)

16. Nupela potapovae: freshwater/only known from Montana (named for Dr. Marina Potapova)

17. Tabellaria vetteri: freshwater/only known from a stream in North Central Pennsylvania (Dr. Marina Potapova named after ANS volunteer, John Vetter)

18. Platessa stewartii: freshwater/temperate North America (Combines the work of Patrick and Potapova. Dr. Ruth Patrick describes species in 1945 as Achnanthes stewartii and Dr. Marina Potapova transferred it to the genus Platessa, (R.M. Patrick) Potapova 2011.)

19. Terpsinoë musica: freshwater to marine/warm water; mostly in tropics (Musica comes from its girdle or side view. The distinct silica bars between the valve inflations combined with a small pseudoseptum at the valve ends, appears as quarter notes.)

20. Surirella patrickae: freshwater/only reported in Australia (named for Dr. Ruth Patrick)

21. Eunotia diadema: freshwater/swamps and bogs of the Northern Hemisphere (R.M. Patrick & C.W. Reimer, 1966) .