Japanese Magnolia Seed Book

Finished one copy.  Detail of cover plus first couple of pages
Pages 1 and 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Opened out book:  double accordion
Cover detail seed painting.  Still no title—

Little Japanese Magnolia Book in Process

This is a mock up of a little book I’m working on and plan to edition.

Day 7 of Japanese Magnolia Challenge

The seeds are dropping today, and after a few hours the red seed heads turn black.  I checked with the outside tree, and its phases look exactly like mine that lived in a vase from bud to seed.  Must be self-pollinating.   Only the one lone petal hanging on.

I’m thinking of making little pocket-size accordion books of the seven days of Japanese magnolia seed-profuction using color copies.

Japanese Magnolia Challenge Days 4,5,6

On Day 4 the seeds are taking over as the main show.
On Day 5,  I realized that the stamens are on top and the seeds are at the bottom, with the seed head buried and emerging bright red.  Day 6 features two seeds that have fallen onto a fallen petal.

The Japanese Magnolia Challenge

So I decided to draw a japanese magnolia seed factory every day for a week.  On the left is day 1, the closed bud, which I picked and put in a vase with water.  On the right is the newly opened bud on day 2.  The business part of the flower is still tightly packed together.
On day 3 the petals are fully opened and beginning to droop.  The curly stamens and multiple anthers are separating and growing.  There are tiny black tips appearing on the anthers.

A Couple of Japanese Magnolia Openings

This is a flower bud opening with a few raindrops on it.

Seed Forming Tulip and Japanese Magnolia

First this Japanese magnolia that I picked from a tree in a nearby park.

Then the tulip showing its swelling ovary and the Japanese magnolia on day 2 with its anther opening out and petals receding.  Balletic.

Culminating Tulip