Pomegranate is it.


Working away. Baker card is in refinement...but we have a direction. Am trying to get into a sync for the picture due Monday...and though I dont know if we are "there" yet, but I prefer yesterday's coloration...taking it a bit further than the ink drawing. I am anxious to get this further refined while doing a pagination of the book (32 pps. of the Creation story--working title, "In the Beginning"). I have posted a group of these trees in facebook here>>I am musing over spreads of all the animals, the creatures under the sea, the birds of the sky...the separating of water and land. The fruit of the Tree of Knowledge was never named, as I mentioned before, and I think that fruit will be a pomegranate in this body of work. Wiki confirms this might be a nice thing to do as there is symbolism in Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions:

Judaism
Exodus 28:33–34 directed that images of pomegranates be woven onto the hem of the me'il ("robe of the ephod"), a robe worn by the Hebrew High Priest. 1 Kings 7:13–22 describes pomegranates depicted on the capitals of the two pilars (Jachin and Boaz) which stood in front of the temple King Solomon built in Jerusalem. It is said that Solomon designed his coronet based on the pomegranate's "crown" (calyx).[30] Jewish tradition teaches that the pomegranate is a symbol for righteousness, because it is said to have 613 seeds which corresponds with the 613 mitzvot or commandments of the Torah. However, the actual number of seeds varies with individual fruits.[31] For this reason and others, many Jews eat pomegranates on Rosh Hashanah. It is also a symbol of fruitfulness.[32] The pomegranate is one of the few images which appear on ancient coins of Judea as a holy symbol, and today many Torah scrolls are stored while not in use with a pair of decorative hollow silver "pomegranates" (rimmonim) placed over the two upper scroll handles. Some Jewish scholars believe that it was the pomegranate, not the apple, that was the forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden.[32] Pomegranate is one of the Seven Species (Hebrew: שבעת המינים, Shiv'at Ha-Minim), the types of fruits and grains enumerated in the Hebrew Bible (Deuteronomy 8:8) as being special products of the Land of Israel.

Christianity
For the same reasons, pomegranates are a motif found in Christian religious decoration. They are often woven into the fabric of vestments and liturgical hangings or wrought in metalwork. Pomegranates figure in many religious paintings by the likes of Sandro Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci, often in the hands of the Virgin Mary or the infant Jesus. The fruit, broken or bursting open, is a symbol of the fullness of his suffering and resurrection.[32] In the Eastern Orthodox Church, pomegranate seeds may be used in kolyva, a dish prepared for memorial services, as a symbol of the sweetness of the heavenly kingdom.

Islam
According to the Qur'an, pomegranates grow in the gardens of paradise (55:068). According to Islamic tradition, every seed of a pomegranate must be eaten, because one can't be sure which aril came from paradise. The Prophet Mohammed is said to have encouraged his followers to eat pomegranates to ward off envy and hatred.[32] The Qur'an also mentions (6:99, 6:141) pomegranates twice as examples of good things God creates.

The Tburg Farmers market was gorgeous last night. We got containers of red and yellow raspberries, lemon basil, red basil, tomatillos, cilantro, and enormous organic tomatoes bursting with flavor. Rob bought a honeycomb of honey,and basswood honey, as pale as pale can be. I bought Fall flower honey, almost as dark as Buckwheat honey. There were peaches, apples, and all sorts of freerange meat (pork and chicken). It was a cool, bluesky evening. Perfect.

I am thrilled to have made a new friend through Facebook, the fabulous and madly talented Brian Dudla, CObP Design. He invited me to be his friend, and then we did a bit of chatting. He has asked me to help with a brand for the new Ithaca band, Family Knife. I am totally flattered and excited to be working together. The Knife is a reconfiguration of Plastic Nebraska without Gabe Tavares--and it shares some band members with the Horseflies. Amazing energy, amazing sound..."darker" as Brian says. Something to look forward to.

Speaking of musicians, The Chicken Chokers had a great showing at Wheatland--hooking up with other Festival people with more festivals in the future. It's great they are getting some traction--and that it is all positive in the future.

Work awaits...I feel right up against it...and its a bit uncomfortable.