May feels like expansion. The days lengthen, color saturates, and growth becomes visible almost overnight. In the northern hemisphere, light no longer hesitates—it stays, stretches, and wraps itself around everything. This month’s inspiration brings together May’s birth flower with sacred geometry rooted in natural cycles and renewal.
May Map
| Element | Notes |
|---|---|
| Birth Flower | Lily of the Valley |
| Symbolism | Renewal, humility, sweetness, the return of happiness |
| Background Motif | Seed of Life (overlapping circles) — linked to fertility, blossoming, and natural cycles, aligning with May’s lush abundance |
Shaping the May Art Piece
For the May piece, I leaned into growth as a layered, living process. The Seed of Life pattern became the foundation of the background—overlapping circles that echo both cellular beginnings and the repeating rhythms of the natural world.
Each tulip-shaped flower of the Lily of the Valley is netted with embroidery, and at the center of every bloom I embedded green crystals. These small points of sparkle act like seeds themselves—markers of vitality, balance, and emergence—anchoring the softness of thread with a quiet, grounded energy.
Closing Reflection
The stitching moves outward, responsive rather than rigid, allowing the composition to feel alive rather than controlled.
May doesn’t demand attention—it simply grows. Working with overlapping circles and green crystal centers reminded me that fertility isn’t only about abundance; it’s about connection. Every beginning is layered, supported, and quietly luminous. Growth happens when we allow ourselves to remain open long enough for it to unfold.
#mixedmedia #watercolor #embroidery #3dembroidery #embroideryonpaper #slowstitch #birthflowers
Inga J Smith 