my big creative year : the forest and impermanence

The pace of time seems to escalate in the spring and fall – the shortest and sweetest seasons. Everything changes so quickly. I went into the forest last week with the intention of soaking up as much as I could and spending time making something that wouldn’t last.

forest loom

forest loom

I began to experiment  with something small – sort of a mini loom – to get a feel for manipulating things. I made a frame from twigs and string and wove in what I liked, looked for more with fresh eyes and tried things.  It made me look at everything differently, more thoughtfully and with deeper appreciation. I saw qualities and details of grasses and vines and mosses I had never seen before.

forest loom

The next day I went back out wanting to try something larger, with only what I could find in the forest. I walked and gathered and felt my mind ticking briskly along, seeing lines, shapes relationships and intersections I hadn’t seen before. I chose a spot and started experimenting without much of a plan, the idea that it did not need to, and could not last opened me to all sorts of possibilities. I played for hours and it turned into a sort of arch – a magic passage for creatures who might come upon it before it blew away.

forest passage

I went out with a lantern that night for a look and to imagine what it might be like to come upon such a thing in the forest unexpectedly.  The next day the huge golden ferns and most of it’s other finery had wilted or blown away and it wasn’t much more than an odd pile of sticks. I had a marvelous time.

8 Comments

  1. What fun to come upon something like that in the woods and wonder…who? why? A gift for the traveler!

  2. This is really beautiful Ann, as a florist I really love playing in this way, I think you have created something really special.

  3. I am enthralled – thank you – I cannot wait for my weekend and the woods behind my house!!

  4. I totally understand what you meant by saying that you can loose the spirit of what your making in your queste of trying to make things perfect….love this post and love what you have made to connect to your spontanious artsoul side(I don’t know how else to say it….sorry….)I recently started with watercolours and did a couple of paintings to make something that sort of “happens” without me trying to control it….
    It helped me a lot to let go and loved doing something totally different xo

  5. L kaupalolo

    Taken aback as to by why anyone would want to view Lauren Di Cicccio’s sculptures?

    However, I just love your wonderful foxes. Will there ever be a pattern available?
    Also, two little horse loving girls and my grandson had a wonderful time decorating your running horses with paint and colored pens.

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