Capturing vegetables in the raw

Vegetable Portraits," the produce indeed sits atop pedestals, as either a simple bouquet of coral orange and silver-green squash blossoms, or a more composed arrangement called "Calliope:

"The vegetable is often taken for granted, and I want to bring attention to these incredible works of art which should be admired, appreciated and put up on pedestals," said Karlin, 64, who fell in love with her muse years ago, after volunteering on two kibbutzim in Israel picking apples, pears and plums.

[...] at Blackbird, which owner Nancy Putney-Abernathy opened in the spring in an old, restored brick building on Lincoln Avenue, Karlin's work spans a wall with poster-size, framed prints of gracefully curling garlic scapes to voluptuous tomatoes spilling from their vines ($425 unframed to $1,150 framed).

The art is a perfect complement to the store's many garden-inspired treasures, ranging from heirloom-theme cookbooks to earth-tone scarves in sensuous fabrics to art-gallery-caliber pots, contemporary Fermob outdoor furniture, and modern woven Pappelina indoor/outdoor rugs from Sweden.

Karlin strives to capture each vegetable's personality in natural light, which is apparent in the unique quality of the heirloom varieties she forages from Maine-area farmers' markets.