b'where bluebonnets bloomWhen I first came to Texas, many friends talked about bluebonnet season. I had never seen a bluebonnet and was skeptical of the actual hue. I thought this sentiment was more in line with an everythings bigger in Texas folksy hyperbole. Or, perhaps it was because I was used to the more desert flora of the West. I was awestruck during my first trip into the Texas Hill Country one spring. The sides of the road were indeed blanketed with fields of blue. And not just blue, but swaths of reds and yellows too. It was like walking into a color wheel made of flowers. I wanted to capture the moment and keep a piece of the memory in a tangible form. However, I was never keen on picking flowers as a healthy respect for nature. So I took some quick pictures and committed them to memory. When I taught students in a predominately urban area, my goal was to help them see the unexpected in the world around them as I had during my serendipitous Spring trip long ago. I asked them to walk around their neighborhoods and capture any flora they encountereda difficult task amongst the islands of concrete. Still, the students managed to surprise me. They took photos of dandelions piercing the cracks of the pavement and of cut flowers from local stores. They even photographed fake flowers adorning make-shift tire planters around their neighborhoods. We would then print the pictures, in black and white, in various sizes, and then re-colored them with multiple media. Afterward, wed collaged together a collaborative piece, making our own version of the Hill Country.TRENDS // PAGE 50PAGE 51 // TRENDS'