Consider the lilies

The piece is inspired by the Word of God, Jesus' advice to his disciples against the anxiety of our daily lives: "Consider the lilies..." in Luke 12:27. Each flower appears on a different page of this gold-illuminated manuscript, a Four Gospels book, produced in Kratovo monastery in 1567 by the illuminator Ioan Kratovski. The floral designs reflect Oriental and even Islamic influences in the manuscript styles of that time - tulips, hyacinths, forget-me-nots, carnations, lilies, and others. This is a miniature Garden of Eden, providing us peace of mind and calming us against worldly anxieties. Interestingly, my mother-in-law, a floral designer, and I had simultaneous thoughts about this design. I wanted to create something about flowers that might inspire her, and she called me to encourage me to create this piece with those particular words.