Botanical Name: Aloe barbadensis miller
Kingdom: Plantae
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Subclass: Lilidae
Order: Liliales
Family: Aloeaceae
Genus: Aloe
Species: vera
Origin
- Native to the Arabian Peninsula
- Grows in tropical & subtropical climates
worldwide
- Dry, warm climate
Symbolism
- Healing and protection
- Self-love, cleaning, undisturbed
- "Plant of Immortality" - Egyptians
- "The Wand of Heaven" - Native Americans
A.V. = 95% (Water) + 5% (Essential oils, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes & glycoproteins)
BENEFITS & USES
Aloe vera gel has been known for its widespread use in a variety of health and beauty products due to it's medicinal properties that can be used to help heal all sorts of things throughout the body.
Aloe Vera's special healing properties arise from the Aloe Mucilaginous Polysaccharide (A.M.P.) Molecule, which is commonly used in most of our beauty products for its moisturizing quality. It's properties are, antioxidant, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory; they help increase blood circulation, balance and restore blood sugar & the immune system, as well as aid regenerative and anti-oxidized cells. Such properties can help treat various types of skin conditions like dryness, pimples & acne, aiding in the healing process for scars, burns & frostbite, & also easing itchy sensations from insect or bug bite. A study conducted by the University of Texas concluded that the gel from Aloe Vera helps promote healing by penetrating injured tissue and reducing inflammation, thereby increasing blood flow to the area of injury.
Other benefits of using Aloe vera include:
- Speeding up hair growth
- Soothing intestines and cleansing the digestive tract, relieving gastrointestinal issues
- Helps eliminate waste in the body by absorbing toxins in the intestinal tract
- Can help reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels to maintain a healthy heart
- Contains substances that slow down inflammation and thereby help improve joint flexibility
- Polysaccharides shown to have potent macrophage-activating abilities
- Can increase skin elasticity through collagen and elastin repair
- Helps keep intestinal flora balanced
SKETCHBOOK STUDIES
Plant Anatomy
- Roots: shallow, just below the soil's surface.
- Offshoots ("pups") can emerge & can be separated from the mother plant to propagate.
- Stem: very short, barely appearing from the ground. As it continues to grow it becomes thicker and more apparent.
- Stalk: arises from center in early spring or late winter; typically only grows in outdoors plants
- Flowers: bloom as tubular yellow-orange cluster from the stalk; contain seeds that can be used later propagated for propagation.
- Leaf: thick and fleshy with spiny ridges; grows from the base of the plant stem in a single rosette form; each leaf has 4 layers.
Layers of an Aloe leaf: (Outer to inner)
Rind
Liquid Sap = Alonin (irritant to humans and toxic to house pets); Protects from foragers
Mucilage Gel
Aloe Vera Gel
Elements of Art
- Line: linear, sharp, jagged edges,
- Shape: triangular, circular/rosette
- Form: rectangular prism; tubular flowers
- Space: overlapping, perspective; 3D
- Texture: smooth, almost soft, leaves; sharp + pointy edges; rough stem
- Value: relatively same lightness/darkness throughout; as it gets closet to the middle & bottom of rosette it darkens with shadow
- Color: dominated by green; hints of gray, yellow;
warmer tones on the flowers
Color Palettes:
WORK IN PROGRESS & PROCESS
*Work is currently still in progress*
Further progress: follow up notes, photography, and videography, artwork, merchandise
Follow along + subscribe to see the final project once it is fully complete!
INSPIRATION & SOURCES
-Plantophiles, Oct. 2020, plantophiles.com/.
- “Order Flowers Online – Delivered to Your Door.” Flowers, 2020, www.proflowers.com/.
- “A New WordPress Site.” Project Wellness Now - Coming Soon, www.projectwellnessnow.com/.
-“Plant Identifier.” PictureThis, www.picturethisai.com/.
- “Classification: USDA PLANTS.” Classification | USDA PLANTS, plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display.