Friday, 25 January 2013

diatom collector has a disconcerting dream


Diatoms (aka phytoplankton) are protists—microscopic critters that are neither plants nor animals—in the the clade called Heterokontophyta. This clade has 177 families and at least 200,000 species. Diatoms are sometimes called "water moulds" because they grow & feed like moulds. But unlike true moulds, which are fungi, diatoms have plant-like cell walls.

When I showed this collage to my husband, he said, "That's how I feel about our house: tiny things are expanding to great size. Like our books—they're multiplying in the shadows." =laugh=
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12 comments:

  1. Sabine26 January 2013 at 00:39

    Marvellous composition! I like the different kind of colouring - and the diatoms look so aesthetic and filigree. Beautiful!

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  2. Wastedpapiers26 January 2013 at 00:47

    Beautifully educational!

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  3. paperworker26 January 2013 at 13:32

    Love diatoms (did a drawing of 32 or so of them a long time ago, all delicately colored with watercolor pencils). I also LOVE your collage AND your husband's comment....great stuff!

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    1. Sabine27 January 2013 at 11:43

      Oh, sounds interesting! I would like to see, if possible!!!!

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    2. paperworker27 January 2013 at 17:32

      Well, sounds better than it looks! Turns out there were 44 of them (diatoms fly by, when you're having fun...) Anyway, I put it on my Flickr pages, here is a link for that: http://www.flickr.com/photos/paperworker/8421319947/in/photostream

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    3. Sabine27 January 2013 at 23:15

      Thank you for the link. I counted four times... they are so tiny and nice! And - by the way - your vintage handkerchief fabric collage is realy beautiful!!!!

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    4. paperworker28 January 2013 at 10:50

      Thanks, M. These handkerchief collages are taking a lot of time, but I'm liking how they are turning out.

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  4. Crafty Dogma26 January 2013 at 13:55

    This is wonderful Fi! I love the idea of giant diatoms.

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  5. Scrapatorium26 January 2013 at 19:15

    Beautiful! And I know how your husband feels! In our case it's the dust bunnies who quickly turn into jackalopes.

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  6. MonoCassette27 January 2013 at 11:33

    Lovely. Again mesmerizing colour and shapes Fi.

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  7. Fi Webster27 January 2013 at 11:43

    Thanks so much for your great comments!

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  8. Collage Craft27 January 2013 at 14:16

    What a stunning image. Mystifying and intriguing!

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