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.
It had been a good day of exploration along the river. I had discovered a whole new area of pools and slabs of exposed rock. Polished smooth by the glaciers and eons of springmelt scourings. The pink granite was still holding the heat of the day even though the sun has disappeared behind the shoulder of the mountain which was a looming shadow now.
I had found many fabulous "egg" stones and had been collecting them all day. The bucket was very heavy now and quite a load to swing up and over the cliffy areas as I tried to make my way back upstream. But then I found this perfect oval puddle. And the stones just seemed to want to be in this little reflecting pool for one last homage to their source before I took them home to my studio.
It took longer than I had hoped to arrange them all. Many did not want to cooperate and the inside of the puddle was deceptively slick with algae, so getting everyone to stand still was quite a challenge! By the time all the stones were in position, the light was less than optimal, but still, the photos had to be taken. I was not going to be bringing all these heavy stone back down here again!
It was fun to angle around and see how the different patterns of the reflected trees played with the spaces between the sitting stones. The whole stillness of this sculpture was in sharp contrast to the rushing, bubbling constantly moving stream that was right next to the puddle. It was not lost on me that this movement is what created the egg stones in the first place... so movement births into stillness... there is a Zen Koan in here somewhere.
Another circle around the sun is complete for me today. Time to reflect, give thanks and reset the sails to take full advantage of the Cosmic winds of change.
Everyone, it seems, is talking about the ending of the old and the bringing in of something new... new ways of living on the earth, with one another. Yet paradox is thick and wild around every corner.. as things speed up, we must slow down, global warming actually means cooling- for some, and for others becoming fully alive and free means passing over the threshold of earthly life into something greater... and for those left behind, we must learn a new way to dance, without those who used to occupy the space right beside us, but now who occupy all space, all around us and within us too.
Today my biggest realization came as a total surprise. All my life I have felt like an outsider, a misfit, a person living on some far outer edge while the rest of my collective seemed to dance to their own music which I seemed to give their lives meaning , rhythm and form. Yet I could not dwell there for long being a wild child of the edges and hidden places in life... but sometimes I would yearn for something of the ordinary life because it looked so cosy being full of such companionship.
But something has happened in the past year or so... something that has been building for over a decade now, but only this past year have things started to become really noticeable. While it is true that I still feel like an edgewalker, I notice that I am very much not alone anymore. There are many of us out here now. All leaning hard into the future to see what we can draw towards us that is good and new and full of hope and beauty in the simplest of ways. From where I root and grow, I hear whisperings from far away places.... whisperings for everyone to get on with becoming all of who they were meant to be this lifetime... their fully authentic selves living cooperatively with one another and with the Earth itself... for things ARE changing and nimbleness will serve us better than a stiff resolve. But stepping out of these old skins is not easy. However with a little help from a friend it can actually be easier than we ever dreamed possible.
Long ago I had a pet snake... a boa named Peanut. He was very personable and liked to actively play hide and seek when he was out and about. But when it came time to shed his skin his personality changed. He would withdraw and be a little moody or cranky. We learned not to disturb him too much during these times. He was inner directed then, and the impulses from the outer worlds were of no interest and were mostly useless to him at these times. He was gestating a new self. Eventually his eyes would cloud over and for a few hours he'd be very vulnerable, unable to see. We learned to be very quiet and respectful during these tender times as he let go of one skin in order to shine more beautifully after he emerged in his new one.
Once during this time of letting go I saw him rubbing his nose on the sole of a work boot so I knew it was time for him to rebirth himself. I was able to help him by peeling back the old skin from his head and then the most amazing thing happened.... while I held the collar of his shedding layer, he literally crawled out of his own skin and was re-born fresh and gleaming in the sun. His new skin held all the colours of the rainbow and glowed with an awesome radiance I will always remember. And he was back to his playful self once more.
Why tell this story? Because right now as a collective we are in that phase where we can feel the change coming but it is not quite here yet... so we are edgy and perhaps a bit cranky with the inner impatience we all feel as we are in that strange limbo place of making a shift into something as yet unknown where the old ways have not yet been fully released but where we are not yet fully emerged into our new skins either.
Also, every year as individuals we each get to crawl out of our old skin and get a fresh new clean slate on which to write the story of our year. In actuality each moment is a fresh clean slate, but since this posting is about the annual cycle around the sun, that will be what I take with me today as I move out into the world, freshly renewed and inspired to be a vessel for the creative force which is wanting to express the realm of Spirit into shape and form with Love.
For this past year I am grateful for so much! For my friends new and old, I am most grateful... you have helped me cross out of my old self and into something new and evolving with grace, joy and Truth.... thank you. For my "fans" who come here to see these creations and who are making their own lovely Faerie Works in places far away, I am so grateful for your continued support and caring .. it means so much to know that others out there "get" this kind of work and feel a kinship with root, stone and flower. I want to give a special note of gratitude to the sisters of the SV circle... you have been such a beacon of wisdom and hopeful compassion as I traversed inner doubts and confusions this year, thank you for your infinite well of acceptance. For my family who has been thru so much this past year.... I love you all. And finally, a special thank you to the little shape-shifting chipmunk friend who came along on so many of my building adventures this summer... your bright eyes and graceful gestures brought joy back into my heavy heart. Thank you for continuing to delight.
I have already published this sculpture here but this photo is one I like so much better. The golden light of the pool was just so spectacular. In person the pool had more of a greenish look to it so I had at first passed this image by since the colour was not "right". But on second review, the golden quality that IS here is lovely in it's own way.
I've been sorting through all the archives of this year's work. So many times I am too busy doing the creative end of the process to properly attend to all the photos as they are safely tucked away in my hard drive.
Now that the short days of late autumn are here, and it is cold and rainy outside, it is time to go digging in the files and find some gems. Some of these sculptures may have been seen here before but I have found better views so I'll be sharing a few of those with you as we wait for the frosty days of ice and snow to arrive.
This sculpture was made from Day lilies and a Queen Anne's Lace blossom. It was an incredibly difficult place to photograph because I was standing in hip deep rushing water to get this photo. The rocks were very slippery and I was so worried my tripod and camera might slip in the current and be snatched away. But all worked out.... one would never know of the drama behind the lens looking at this sweet scene!
There is another reason to be reviewing these images. I am now working on my third and fourth books! I realized that with my father's passing last year, I did not finish a book for the sculptures of 2008 and there were some lovely creations. So in addition to getting this year's work out to print, I'm working on last year as well. It was impossible to try and combine them into one volume, so two books are being created in tandem now. That means I may be posting less frequently here for the next few weeks, but hopefully it will be worth it...for all of us!
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!!
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.
It had been a good day of exploration along the river. I had discovered a whole new area of pools and slabs of exposed rock. Polished smooth by the glaciers and eons of springmelt scourings. The pink granite was still holding the heat of the day even though the sun has disappeared behind the shoulder of the mountain which was a looming shadow now.
It took longer than I had hoped to arrange them all. Many did not want to cooperate and the inside of the puddle was deceptively slick with algae, so getting everyone to stand still was quite a challenge! By the time all the stones were in position, the light was less than optimal, but still, the photos had to be taken. I was not going to be bringing all these heavy stone back down here again!
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