A place to learn about the Environmental art and sculpture work of Sally J Smith who lives in the Adirondack Mountains.
Welcome to the enchanted world of Environmental art and Faerie Houses sculptures created by Sally J Smith. Here you will find photos of the artist's unique art-forms and hear some of the stories from behind the scenes as she shares with you her creative process.
Almost all of the bright colors are gone now, even right down to the lakeshore ... the last golds of the season. A few flecks here and there remain, but for the most part, the show, such as it was this year, is over.
A few more images in the camera still wait to be viewed.
A few more sculptural creations can dreamed up.. and perhaps created, but it is the season of the hunt in these woods and I do not feel safe going out and working in my usual locations. So, it is a time of working close to home, finishing the late fall chores and waiting for some cold nights to see if any ice is forming yet in the puddles and small streams... soon it will be time to play with the frost faeries !
Sometimes, on rare occasions, I have the opportunity to work with a special site and have more than one little house sculpture "fit" the location. This stump provided one of those creative dilemmas.
First, I was very fortunate to find this perfect little stump on one of my scouting walks. The area had been logged about 25 years ago and there were many great locations to choose from... but I liked how this stump already had great character and it had it's own mushroom already growing on the top. So for the first step I made the mossy pathway that climbed up to the top which was already covered with a gorgeous garden of mosses and lichens.
I installed this little tower house and it seemed to fit the location perfectly. Some nearby red maple leaves were pinned together with thorns for the roof. I took many photos and was so pleased with the quiet serenity that the tower all by itself seemed to evoke. This was a place of solitude and retreat yet strength and a bit of elegance seemed to be present too. After taking all the photos, I began to wander around and found some other bits of birch bark and some tiny twigs and realized I could make a little gazebo like structure because all the materials were at hand... so I got to work. Here is the result. Another charming little expression... but what an entirely different feeling we have now. Now it looks festive and warm. Now there are hints of fun and playfulness, there is the suggestion of a dialog between the two elements, and it most definitely does not feel as lonely as the first (solo) structure. Also the sun did come out more for the second shots so that helped add warmth to the mood, but still, I think there is something subtle that we notice when we see the two structures together as opposed to the strong but solo structure.
It is a fascinating thing to observe this one small difference making all the difference. There is no judgment here, just observing the differences. Some may prefer the festive look and some may prefer the solitude look... it might be interesting to ask yourself which you prefer and why.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Here is the Kiteleaf house a little closer up. I was surprised when I reviewed the photos how the cloud bank in the far distance happened to line up with two of the green twig elements from the house. This was not intentional. I could have "fixed it" with Photoshop, but I decided to just leave it as it was.
This house has an odd, other-worldly feeling to it.. as if it is a rocket ship getting ready to take off or a kite getting ready to launch. Or perhaps it was just the gusty winds of the day that had me feeling like this might get airborne at any minute. But what captivated me most was the light as it was shining thru all the sparkling milkweed seed-puffs... and how the downy material got caught in unexpected places ...there was a lot of movement and magic in the field that afternoon.
Out in the autumn meadow the milkweed pods are releasing their downy seed parachutes to the winds. The sun is rising and setting far to the south now and long shadows grace the hills and valleys of this area in the early morning and late afternoon light.
Up on a slight rise, in a patch of milkweed plants a leafy house is rising up. After a recent discussion with a dear friend about kites and creativity, this leaf house seemed to rise effortlessly out of my hands as I tried to make something that worked with the light of the day as well as the last remnants of the beautiful colours of the season. I'll post a close-up of the house tomorrow... but I wanted to share the setting first. This is my valley... this is where the creative spirit swirls and sparks endlessly and on occasion, I get to dance with it and try to express my joy and delight in harmony with the Natural forces who are the real dwellers in this landscape. We humans are just visitors... at least, that is how it feels to me most of the time.
My Grandmother, a great Lady, who was 100 years + 2 months old, peacefully passed out of this world and into the next last Sunday. Today we will celebrate her life in the tiny village that has been her home for more than 45 years.
She had a most amazing life. She was born in Germany and when she was 2 years old, my Great-Grandmother and she came to this country to begin a better life. It was not always easy. She married a handsome man from Maine who was a logger, a trailblazer (literally) and a sign maker. But what he really was in his heart, was a visionary . But he was not an easy man.
She spent many summers raising her son up on the top of a mountain in NH, as my Grandfather was the Fire Ranger for the look-out tower. They had only themselves up there... and the bears. But she managed somehow. Later, a daughter came, and she was my Grandmother's delight. Our family were avid hikers and we also loved the water. Gram always was a great swimmer, even into her 90's. But there is one thing I remember about my grandmother more than anything else... her optimism and infectious innocence.
She loved all of nature: flowers and birds especially. Her gardens were always in a state of controlled chaos, with the flowers and veggies all crowded in together long before that was the fashion. After my Grandfather died, she lived all alone in her little house in a very small village right at the edge of the White Mountains and though her life was one of simple dignity and lots of friends and laughter, she will always be remembered as a lady who knew how to have a good time, no matter how bleak things might seem. And she loved to give and receive hugs... she was the matriarch of our family of huggers and we all learned from her the healing power of a heartfelt hug.
I will miss her greatly. But her passing was peaceful and gentle and now she is with her beloved son, my Dad.... the hug-fest must be fierce right now!
The Final group of Girl Quest builders had stones and shells as the basic design elements for their house. They started with a lovely and very large Reindeer-moss covered stump. There were many angles and roots to this stump so each member of the team had a lot of opportunity for creativity.
When we visited their creation as a group we marveled at all the different nooks and decorative touches had been so thoughtfully arranged for the faeries.
On the back side were two large clam shells to catch rainwater for faerie baths.
On the front a lovely stone path let up to a tiny front door.
Also, great use was made of fall foliage leaves and the girls brought a lot of color into their design by having several leaves up above the house as well as a magical patio area created with red leaves.
There were little Faerie sleeping alcoves in several places ... some were tucked in the roots and one was right on top with a view of the stars.
Here we see the little Faerie bed with a view of the stars.... the framework was beautifully crafted with milkweed down for a silky sleep and nice leaf for a blanket. You can also see part of the red-leaf patio in this photo.
The structure was by far the largest one of the day and it was a perfect finish to our Faerie House tour. Great work, Stone House team !
Afterwords we all were ready for a snack and the next part of the workshop where we learned how to make small single houses using birch bark and leaves. Unfortunately we were a bit rushed at the end, but the girls were amazing in their ability to tackle the different design challenges together, to work really well as teams and to show such support and appreciation for what all the other teams had created.
It was a deep pleasure to work with such a lovely group of young ladies!
(My apologies for the delay in getting this post out... I've had some unavoidable delays at home... I especially want to apologize to all the Girl Questors... now, your story continues!! )
The girls who worked on the next house had a real challenge. In their basket of source materials for their house was a surprise: lots of feathers. Now this may sound like fun, but it was actually rather challenging. How do you make a house that is sturdy enough to stand on it's own but light and airy feeling? The girls had a great stump to begin their construction, and thru the trees they could just see one of the other teams. Once they got started on their design however, the creative spirit really picked them up and carried them away, like a feather on the wind!
When the group arrived for their viewing of the Feather House they were amazed by the delicacy and complexity of the design. There were ladders and second rooms and a perfect little swing set just the right size for Faeries. There was a beautiful walkway leading up to the front door. The walkway was lined with a clever handrail. The walls and roof were made primarily with ferns and then loads of feathers were added as lovely decorations.
Here we see the house from above. The front door is a little hard to see from this angle, but it is just to the left of the vertical ladder which goes up to a second floor balcony.From the balcony the Faeries descend and can go to visit the second teepee room which is crowned by two large feathers. and Finally, when the Faeries want a bit of fun, they can come out and play on the swing... which was beautifully made to scale.
Here we can see the pathway leading up to the front door a little better.... and some of the pretty grass streamers that give the house a very airy and welcoming feel. A soft blanket of Milkweed down is scattered across another area for playing or relaxing... the girls really built a beautiful, multi-dimensional structure here.. lush with greens and delicate features.
Next we visited the Tree Faerie House. This was a very complicated construction that took full advantage of t(h)ree dimensional thinking. The girls described how they had started their construction but soon ran into technical difficulties. They re-grouped and re-envisioned their design. At first their house was just a simple creation tucked in some low branches of a tree, but soon they realized they wanted to make much MORE...
So they started at the top and began thinking like Faeries. They considered that when the Faeries arrive, they might be very tired from their long day of flying, so now they can take naps right awaywhen they first arrive in the leaf hammocks that are high in the tree.
Here we can see all the lovely airy streamers and wind indicators that are between the hammocks and the ground level house... Faeries appreciate this level of thoughtfulness from their human designers. The streamers and flower decorations lead down to the ground level.
Here we see the main entrance to the Faerie house which is deep within a rock that is next to the roots of the tree. Faeries enter the under-ground house through this magnificent door-way after going on a bridge that passes over the colourful garden. Very clever to be able to see their garden from above!
And finally, this house had another amazing feature... a mossy trail let to a wee Faerie well... with a working bucket made from a leaf!Here the well and its operation get a very close inspection.
The Tree Faerie team did an outstanding job of designing and creating a house that had wonderful innovations that Tree Faeries in particular would appreciate... well done Tree Faerie Team !!!!!!!
The first stop on the tour of Faerie Houses made by the Girl Quest Groups, was the "Flower Faerie House". The team had chosen a circular plan and had installed a lovely May-pole like structure in the middle. The enclosure featured silky milkweed resting places, a wishing stick and loads of lovely decorative touches. This photo does not do this house justice, but I wanted to show the whole structure... and the Maypole in the center was quite tall.
They chose to make their house out in the open along a long mossy avenue but still under the protection of a pine tree, so it had the feeling of a Faerie Green, a gathering place where all the forest Faeries could easily come and have their playful celebrations. The very tall and highly decorated Maypole (we were told) made it easy for the Faeries to locate the circle from far away. Here some final touches are added.
Two of the youngest members of the building team describe their house for the rest of the group. It was delightful to see all the clever little touches they had incorporated into the design. They did a great job using all the dried flowers and natural materials that were provided plus many additional items which they had found, such as the beautiful Beech Leaf walls which surrounded the circle.
Last week-end I had the great pleasure to work with the girls of Girl Quest, from Vermont. The girls and some happy adults came to a secluded and magical forest area here in the Adirondacks and we had a lovely afternoon of Faerie House projects, Faerie tea and general good fun.
We started out with a brief talk about what I do and some stories from my Faerie house building adventures. Then the girls formed into groups for their group Faerie House building projects.
Everyone was very eager to get to work, but first we had to stop and ask the Faeries for their blessing and offer a small token to them and the land. Then we all got to work!
There were four groups and each had been given a basket of themed treasures to decorate their particular constructions. The four themes that we had this day were: Stones+Shells Faerie House items, Tree Faerie House items, Flower Faerie house items and Feather Faerie house items. Here we see the Flower Faerie house team getting busy with a clever circular design.
For some, this task was a tiny bit overwhelming at the start (I know how this feels, believe me!)... it is hard to know where to begin sometimes... and the materials were strange and unfamiliar, but very quickly the girls and adults got the feel of things and soon really creative masterpieces began to emerge.
Finally, after about an hour and a half of steady, concentrated work, all the houses were completed. We all met together in the mossy glade and began our group pilgrimage to see each and every house... for up till then, each team had seen only their own constructions.
Tune in soon to see what beautiful creations the teams made together!!
I am VERY pleased to announce that the new 2010 Wall Calendar from Pomegranate is now available!
I've set up links on the right side of the blog to take you to my products which are published by Pomegranate, which you can order directly from them.
Their web-page also shows all the images that are on the inside of the calendar. Please check out the new Holiday cards too! I am very pleased with the calendars, and they look wonderful in-person. While you are visiting my pages be sure to check out their other products, they have MANY beautiful items for holiday giving and their quality is absolutely top-rate.
Please note: on the web-page, the images may look a bit dark and heavy, depending on your monitor...but the actual calendar pages are very bright and beautiful and the calendar is BIG so it is very useful too for recording important appointments, like tea with the Faerie Queen ! They have been selling like hotcakes here and everyone seems to really like them, so be sure to check out the web-pages and get some for all your Faerie lover friends!
A secret trail along a mossy-banked stream... stepping stones lead to an arched bridge... a Faerie Retreat for contemplating the changing seasons. Surrounded by water, the soothing sounds of stream, birds and winds envelope the visitor.
We've come back around to the Autumn time, the time of letting go. A lot of people find this time of year to be full of unexpected emotions.
As we say good-bye to summer I wanted to bring out one more image from my archives before fully getting into the fall cycle of creativity. For me, this image reflects so much poignancy about this time of year. For several years I made a very large walking labyrinth in the meadow below my house. It was always such fun to see the seasons change from my walking meditations in the meadow. The gift of being able to be at peace, walking on mother earth and in this exquisite landscape was on of the simple pleasures that we often forget to give ourselves... the gift of a moment of reflection in the midst of our busy lives.
This image was taken several years ago. It was near mid-summer and it was the last year for my beloved cat who sits at the opening to the labyrinth. He used to like to walk with me and I knew at the time that this was probably our last summer together. It is the unbearable sweetness of moments like this that busy lives often take from us... or rather... we let them slip from our awareness... too caught up in our to-do lists.
This season of autumn is a time of savouring such sweet moments. Letting ourselves be overwhelmed by beauty is a nourishing thing to do... a good practise to take up as we prepare ourselves for the colder months ahead.
Next week I should be back on schedule with creative expressions of an autumnal kind.... the mountains are already aflame with colour, it is coming on fast here... I can't wait to get out and play with the leaves!!
It is that time of year again... the rush of colour in the mountains, glittering stars in the crisp clear air of the cooling nights... geese rising off misty rivers and lakes and heading to warmer waters to the south... all is changing, moving and briskly preparing for the wintry season.
For those who live near the Adirondacks and who may wish to come for a visit to a Autumn festival, I will be showing my work this coming week-end, on Saturday, at the" Field,Forest and Stream" festival in Elizabethtown, NY. The hours are from 10 am till 4 pm and it should be a low-key, kid-friendly and fun event. I welcome any and all who care to make the trip and would love to see you there.
A professional watercolour artist of over 20 years, I recently began creating Environmental art sculptures out in Nature. The works fall into 2 different genre; "Faerie Houses" - which are just as the name suggests, and "Eartherials"- sculptures which have their roots in the earthly elements yet also embody certain otherworldly qualities.
I work year-round and in all weather conditions at various locations near my Adirondack mountain studio.
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