I love to use symbols in my work and for this piece I turned to Victorian flower meanings. Since these are not part of our cultures everyday vocabulary, I wrote the meanings of each flower or plant for the viewers reference. Here they are, from the top left corner going clockwise: Cinquefoil — beloved daughter; Amaranth — immortality; Angelica — inspiration; Passionflower — faith; Calla Lily — modesty; Liatris — "I will try again"; Laurel — glory and success; Purple Hyacinth — repentance; Plum — keep your promises; Celandine — joys to come; Euphorbia — persistence; Spirea — victory; Bouvardia — enthusiasm; Alyssum — worth beyond beauty; Gentian — intrinsic worth; Sorrel — parental affection; Cosmos — joy in love and life. I tried to keep the floral symbol close to the words while still balancing the colors and shapes in the border. I consulted some young women I know to choose the lettering style and settled on a monoline cursive, which is feminine and popular today.
