Stories of Art & Botany

  • Kawakawa

    Piper excelsum
    by Mamakan Oustrup Laureijs

    Victoira

     

    Kawakawa

     

    Overall – ‘of itself’, individual. Impartial love. 

     

     

    Visual

     

     

    Touch

     

    Smell

     

    Taste

    Japanese/Asian form, architectural,

    Stems hold a tree-like structure. Heart shaped leaves. 

    Delicate flat ‘paddles’ create more  visual interest on stems. Symmetry.

    ‘Patterned’ cones.

     

     Leaves – thin leathery, weathers well

     

    Stems - bouncy

    Leaf – peppery, savoury, lemon

     

     

    Leaf - peppery savoury, sorrel

     

    Fruit – first impression was buttermilk, followed quickly by mango, pawpaw, peach, pepper

     

     

    Emotion

     

    1st impression after fruit

    Lolly-like presentation - pattern on a stick! 

    Spongey, surprise, tropical, cushion. 

     

    After green fruit – self-protective – too early or too much consumption is numbing. Healing if used ‘right’. Correcting.

     

    2nd impression wild ferment

    So delicious! (after only 5 days). 

    Buttery, flowery, pepper reduced, pineapple, lemon, granadilla 

     

    Fruit ball truffle

    Papaya seeds, spearmint aftertaste

     

    Choc balls – delicious!

    Couldn’t taste much besides choc

     

     Ana

     

    KAWAKAWA
    Old lady bones, sweetness of an old grandma. Sense of spreading, trying to reach everyone with numerous arms. Abundance, generosity. Soft and flexible. Childish innocence, confidence in life. Sun rays in the leaf nerves. There´s something human in the smell of the leaves. Milky. 
    Fruit is slightly sweet, very intense perfume, strong pepper taste. Makes me think of cocktails at a sophisticated party. 
    Wild ferment has milky color, and it smells like the crunched leaves, creamy, citrus, vinegar, milk, liquid ice cream. One of the best flavours we´ve tried.
    Balls didn´t taste much like the plant.
     
     
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  • Kānuka

    Kunzea ericoides
    by Mamakan Oustrup Laureijs

    Victoria

    Kanuka

    Overall – energetic, strong sense of self.

     

     

    Visual

     

     

    Touch

     

    Smell

     

    Taste

    Energetic, soft, flexible. Abundant leaves off each stem, teeny flowers with profuse and delicate stamens and pollen drops/pinheads. Dry and brittle looking branches.

      

    Leaves look spikier than they feel, pliable yet strong. welcome the weather.

     

    Branches also more pliable than they look. 

    Leaf – grassy, collards/broccoli

     

    Oil 

    Bright, mint/menthol, lemon, astringent, sweet note

    Tea – honeysuckle, honey, mint aftertaste, orange blossom, butterscotch, (after someone else mentioned)

     

    Tea - tongue fizzles

     

     

    Emotion

     

    1st impression After tea

    Opening, comforting, soothing, healing.

    Merry-go-round, opens us to ‘dreambody’, holds both masculine and feminine energies.

     

    2nd impression After kombucha

    Cleansing, mother/teacher plant, rounding. 

     

     

     Ana

     

    KANUKA
    It makes me think of a young woman, hip and urban, connected, plugged with the present, independent and cheerful though somewhat introvert. The taste is very herbal, like thyme or specially basil. Smell is very faint, nothing remarkable.
    Tea is one hundred percent medicinal, herbal. Smells like a natural health store from my city where I used to go with my mother. Taste is more earthy, rooty. Liquorice. There´s also a freshness about it. 
    Essential oil is like a fresh ocean breeze. It´s a promise of something good, in a healing sense.
    The kombucha is also pretty herbal, delicious taste. I keep thinking of the young woman. 

     

     

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  • Pohutukawa

    Metrosideros excelsa
    by Mamakan Oustrup Laureijs

    Victoria

     

    Pohutakawa

     

    Draws attention but neutral in interacting with humans. 

     

     

    Visual

     

     

    Touch

     

    Smell

     

    Taste

    Bright abundant, dominating colour, 

     

    Flowers – tutu skirts, firecrackers, stimulating

    Leaf – leathery, sturdy, hardy, masculine

     

    Flower – feathery, facebrush

     

    Bouncy stems

    Leaf – grassy, leafy 

     

    Flower – couldn’t smell much, very faint hint of sweet nectar

    Leaf – dry, eucalyptus, numbing on tongue. 

     

    Bark – old, whiskey, dried mushroom, bitter 

     

     

     

    Emotion

     

    1st impression

    Survival, strong, resilient, hidden nectar. Contains something unrevealed.

     

    2nd impression

    After vinegar from flowers – potato and honey (vinegar a bit overpowering for me so couldn’t taste much)

     

     

    Ana 

     

    POHUTUKAWA
    Fireworks, festive in a vintage way. Smell of butter. Thick and rubbery. Ballet skirts. It is a very defined plant, the contours, the colors, the texture. Smell of the leaves is wonderful, very fresh and summery.
    The bark vodka is very masculine and bitter.
    Vinegar is like artichoke, heart of palm. Thickness, fleshiness.
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  • Mairehau

    Leionema nudum
    by Mamakan Oustrup Laureijs

    Angelique

     

    Plant MAIREHAU

     

    Visual

    Fluffy-looking, hardy, yet delicate shrub with snowy white tiny clusters of flower at tips. Looks a bit like mingimingi leaves but no spikes and flowers look like miniature jasmine. Mid green leaves with brown splotches. 

     

    Touch

    Leaves are surprisingly soft. Delicate flowers with pretty stamen protruding. Woody stems that soften as they reach out. 

     

    Smell

    Flowers – cinnamon, powder, nutmeg? Spice.
    Leaf – pungent, eucalypt? Tea tree? Pine? Musk. Unique!

     

    Taste

    Leaf – medicinal, sweet, musk.
    Flower – floral, cream, bitter undertones, pine?

     

    1st Level Emotion

    Exotic, other-wordly, seductive, soothing.

     

    2nd Level Emotion

     

    Avalyn

     

    Mairehau:
    ????: sparklers, fireworks, look like they should be larger somehow 
     
    Touch: firm yet creamy
     
    Smell: cookies, vanilla, 
    when pressed- 4711 cologne
     
    Taste: soapy, spicy leaf
    Flower: citrus? guava? Minty?
     
    1st impression: big flavor in a surprising package.
     
    Ana
     
    MAIREHAU
    Cute little small flowers and small, long leaves, dark green with brown and red spots. White small version of pohutukawa.
    Soft leaves but resistant, they seem to be stronger than you´d think. Sweet, honey like smell, perfume, incense, nutmeg, vanilla (flowers) and kitchen herbs the leaves.
    Self assured, self-confident. It has a strength that isn´t ashamed of, is proudly powerful.
     
    Victoria
     

    Mairehau
    Overall – Understated powerhouse, astonishing depth

    Visual Touch Smell Taste
    Pretty, soft tiny
    leaves and
    flowers,
    reminds me of
    miniature
    pohutakawa,
    also manuka.
    Tiny flowers
    robust and
    strong.
    Delicate long
    thin leaves,
    slightly
    decorative
    edges,
    abundant.

    Leaves, springy,
    resilient, smiling.
    Wiry, strong
    branches
    Flowers almost
    imperceptible, silky,
    face-skin

    Flower - sublimely
    scented, liquorice,
    nuts, fennel
    Leaf - unusually
    fragrant, coconut,
    peppery, liquorice,
    thyme, spices

    Leaf – bitter, spicy
    pepper, kawakawa,
    nutmeg
    Flower – honey,
    anise, hint of bitter,
    vanilla, lavender

    Emotion
    1 st impression
    Delightful, intriguing, layered, expressive, alluring.
    2 nd impression
    Exceptional, understated, astonishingly complex. Energetically cleansing. Rich.

     

    Light syrup

    Smell

    Taste

    Feel

     

    Dusty, old fashioned

    Mint, lemon, thyme, nutmeg

    Intriguing, satisfying, soft and warm, contentment

     

     

     

     

     

    Dark syrup

    Less dusty, ripe fruit

    Minty, flower-fragrance, lime undertone, herby

    Bright, lifting, rounded

     

     

    Ana

     

    MAIREHAU (cont.)
    The vinegar smells like the plant slightly, and it seems timid, shy. Flavor is very acidic, almost like lemon, also in the texture. It is sharp, pointy like needles.
    Syrup has a strange aftertaste, old. Also the smell. 
    It feels like a cat, who doesn´t care if you like them or not. It´s so hard to pin down, to define, to explain. 
    Dark syrup has a good taste overall, deeper and more settled. Smells like a pool in the summer.
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  • Hīnau

    Elaeocarpus dentatus
    by Mamakan Oustrup Laureijs

    Angelique

     

    Plant HINAU

     

    Visual

    Olive leaf shaped long slim leaves, mid green. Small cream flowers that hand down like ballerinas in frilled skirts. 

     

    Touch

    Leaves are tough, woody stems. 

     

    Smell

    Leaves – grassy
    Flower – grassy?

     

    Taste

    Leaf – butter, astringent, then sweet.
    Flowers – floral, creamy, sweet.
    Syrup – creamy, sweet, floral, figs.
    Leaves in syrup – olivey, sweet, floral, creamy, figs. 

     

    1st Level Emotion

    Fragility, softness, intuition, wisdom, grace. 

     

    2nd Level Emotion

    Comforting, warm, kind, heartening, redemptive. 

     

    Avalyn

     

    Hinau:
     
    ???? elegant and ladylike; a ladies boudoir, blushing bride
     
    ???????? tough yet delicate, crispy
     
    ???? flower: daughter’s hair after washing 
     
    ???? leaf: bitter gourd
    Syrup: nectar, grounding 
    Leaf: fruity: pear or apricot
     
    1st impression: graceful and beauty
     
    2nd impression: young spirit in older body
     
    Ana
    HINAU
    Beautiful, delicate white flowers, fairy like, dreamy, wedding. They pair perfectly with the leaves, in a quiet and soft way. This plant is exactly what it looks like, what you´re expecting. 
    No remarcable smell. Leaf has a nice texture and gentle flavour, mint.
    Shyness, delicacy, quiet, serious, passive, young adult from another time. Vintage.
    Taste of the flowers syrup is exactly what you´d expect, nice, gentle, young.
    Leaves syrup is deeper and more serious, with notes of artichoke and olive oil.
    This plant makes me feel like I have my whole life ahead of me.
     
    Victoria
     

    Hinau
    Overall – appealing and attractive but didn’t find it’s elixir!

    Visual Touch Smell Taste
    Pretty soft
    cream flowers
    with
    ornamental
    edges, pert
    stamens,
    reminds me of
    a dancer/
    dancer’s skirt,
    sprites.
    Communal
    function.
    Leaf – long,
    strong,
    resourceful – a
    ‘working’ leaf

    Leaf – brittle, strong,
    enduring, crispy
    Flower – delicate,
    rayon silk, not long
    lasting, fleshy

    Leaf – acrid, old
    grass, olive oil,
    green fields
    Flower – couldn’t
    smell much

    Leaf – fruity with a
    hint of bitterness,
    green apples
    Flower – spongey,
    hint of astringence,
    some creaminess,
    fleshy

    Emotion
    1 st impression
    Friendly, has regality, decorative, poised, invokes admiration and interest.
    2 nd impression
    Leaves – opening, wisdom, knowledgeable, want to get to know it, inviting.
    Flowers – honey nature, sunny, friendly, take more time to get to know – something
    not revealed in my first meeting.

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  • Rewarewa

    Knightia excelsa
    by Mamakan Oustrup Laureijs

    Angelique

     

    Plant REWAREWA

     

    Visual

    Strong long thick leaves with jagged edges, mid to dark green. Flowers are saffron, red and purple in colour, petals curl and spiral and stamen stick out all around, like a wattle flower (bottle brush). The seed fronds are saffron coloured and look like coral. 

     

    Touch

    Leaves feel leathery, tough, think, spikey at edges, yet almost brittle, break easily. Flowers are light, delicate, parts shed easily to float away. Seed fronds disintegrate when rubbed. 

     

    Smell

    Leaves – grassy
    Flowers – hay, grass, fresh olive oil
    Seeds – spicy, aromatic, musky, fragrant, honey. 

     

    Taste

    Flower – tannic
    Honey – perfumed, floral 

     

    1st Level Emotion

    Purety, kindness, purpose. 

     

    2nd Level Emotion

    Compassion, uplift, strength, healing. 

     

    Avalyn

     

    Rewarewa:
     
    ???? Christmas, quill pen, bold and quirky, 
    Flowers: rubber bands, alien-like
    Seed pods: crunchy paprika snack 
     
    ???????? rubbery, tough and unyielding (leaf), sword like (leaf), dangerous, seaweed (seed case)
     
    ???? seedpod: spices, old carpet 
    <honey> sharp n sweet
     
    ????
    <honey > deep and rich
     
    Emotions: curiosity; boldness.
     
    Ana
     
    REWAREWA
    Fun and extraterrestrial. Looks soft and bouncy. Purple, dark orange, bright green.
    Seems marine, like it could come from the ocean floor. Fleshy, gum like. 
    Feels very friendly despite its appearance.
    The seedpod looks like coral and it even smells salty, like seaweed. Flower smells like olives. The other seedpod smells like incense.
    The honey smelled like the seedpod, kind of salty.
    Open, friendly, tolerant, easygoing, unpreoccupied. Makes me think of something that is always there, always has been and will be. There´s an eternity or a timelessness to it.
     
    Victoria
     

    Rewarewa
    Overall – striking, expressive, hardy, balanced.

    Visual Touch Smell Taste
    Long sword-like
    serrated leaves,
    Flowers - pinot
    red, curly
    corkscrew and
    wiry reminds
    me of seaweed,
    sea creature,
    striking yet
    delicate
    stamens.
    Inviting.
    Energetic.

    Leaves – fierce,
    brittle, strong,
    protective.
    Flower – spongey,
    twirly, unexpected
    softness and delicacy
    belies corkscrew and
    wiry looking petals.
    Seeds, velvety pods
    and exquisitely
    dainty seeds.

    Leaves – sharp, dry
    Flower – sour, fresh
    cut grass, then
    second layer
    sweetness.
    Pod – musky,
    fragrant, sweet,
    ylang ylang

    Leaf - ?
    Flower – grassy,
    woody shavings, olive
    oil.
    Honey – full, rich
    tasting.

    Emotion
    1 st impressions
    Leaves - very yang – fierce and protective.
    Both leaves and flowers - drama, festival, celebration, demonstrative, sexy.
    Flowers - marine creature, pliable, complex, busting with character and surprise, rising
    energy, grounded. Christmas.
    2 nd impression after honey
    Inner sweetness, more yin qualities evident, well balanced.
    Full of chi!

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  • Titoki

    Alectryon excelsus
    by Mamakan Oustrup Laureijs

    Angelique Meyer

     

    Plant TITOKI

     

    Visual

    Feathery looking leaf clusters, mid green. Long thin leaves remind of bush lawyer or rewarewa. Berry like an alien eye looking around. Berry case like a gum nut. Tiny purplish flowers. New leaf growth lighter, pinkish colour. 

     

    Touch

    Leaves have raised ribs on back. Berry cases slightly fuzzy. New leaf growth very soft. Fruit splits open, cases look like acorn cups. Red fruit is slightly soft to touch, raspberry texture with a hard black seed at centre. 

     

    Smell

    Berry – almost no smell, grassy?
    Leaf crushed – slight grassy smell. 

     

    Taste

    Fruit – strong tannic sensation, slightly bitter, subtle fruitiness

     

    1st Level Emotion

    Sadness, bitterness, disappointment, resistance, steadfastness. 

    Vodka on its own –
    Vodka syrup berries – pale pink. Smell – alcohol. Taste – sweetness, vodka.
    Jam – pink, Taste – tannic, sweet.
    Fermented – pale pink, Smells fermented. Tastes – perfumed, sweet, honeyed, nectar, musky.

    2nd Level Emotion

    Resistance, protest, strength.

     

    Avalyn

    ???? salad, freshly showered, open and ready yet somewhat hidden, luminous, popped corn wearing lipstick ???? 
    <liqueur> rosé
    <jam> garnets 
    ???????? papery, gritty, waxy, bony and arthritic, velvety (seed case)
    ???? aftershave, lettuce 
    <vodka> sweet
    <liqueur> sharp 
    <fermented wine> nail polish remover 
     
    ???? astringent, dry
    <jam> candy
     
    Emotions: bright, but cautious... an introvert and hidden treasure. Surprising.
     
    Ana
     
    TITOKI
    Young, almost childish, makes me think of toys or miniatures. Bold, daring  but not aggressive. Crowded and shiny.
    Soft velvet pods, fleshy and earthy berries and coarse, rough leaves, big contrast.
    Very subtle smell, a bit acidic, vegetable like. The fruit doesn´t smell like anything. Tricky plant, it looks like something and then it´s something else.
    Bright, assertive, playful, grounded. Deep without being serious.
    Liquor tastes like the leaves, more than the fruits.
    Jam, almost candy, beautiful color, almost like a jewel.
    Wine, refreshing and festive, happy party.
    Seductive, very feminine.
     
    Victoria
     

    Titoki
    Overall – vibrant, vital, wide ranging spectrum of qualities

    Visual Touch Smell Taste
    A bright and
    vibrant long
    leaf, soft
    velvety pods
    reveal a cheeky
    eye, flirtatious,
    and sweet
    natured.
    Energising
    colour – both
    leaf and seed.
    Flowers shy,
    tiny and least
    noticeable.
    Crisp, brittle
    twig.

    Lear - resilient,
    strong and youthful,
    vital, communicator/
    connector with other
    plants, crisp.
    Velvety, curvaceous,
    sensual pod.
    Flowers – firmness
    belies shy presence.

    Pod – depth,
    savoury
    Leaf – dusty, sweet,
    soft vinegar
    Fruit – sour,
    ascerbic, absorbing,
    hint of sweetness

    After liquer
    colour - rose delicacy,
    dawn, candyfloss,
    heartful
    smell – dry, high note
    taste – side of
    tongue, emerging.
    After jam
    Colour – jellies,
    sweeties/candies,
    wine.
    smell – couldn’t
    detect much
    taste – apple,
    rosehip.
    With vodka
    taste – umami,
    savoury, salty, hearty

    Emotion
    1 st impression
    Cheerful, light, flirtatious, curious, self-confident, knows how to protect self, resilient.
    2 nd impression
    Clarity, unexpected delicacy within its resilience, open, receptive, invites curiosity,
    multi-dimensional. Heart qualities.
    A plant with a lot of opposites – from tiny discrete/dark flowers – almost didn’t see
    them, to ‘out there’ vibrant leaf and striking seed, delicacy (sponge of seed, flower),
    brittleness (twigs), flirtatious yet shy (flowers, and when seed half exposed).

     

     

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