Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Soothing greens

An Enchanted little tower on a mossy bank. This was such fun to make. The roof is the inspiration; a particular kind of fungus that grows only on white birch trees. It was harvested and carefully dried last fall. Porcupine quills form the window panes. Tiny tree fungus from another source decorate the sides. Cedar root "stairway" leading up to the tower was collected from a riverbank close-by...the river had peeled it nicely. Flowers were from my garden...thank you garden.

A place of refuge from a crazy world. Enjoy !

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Variations












Yesterday I experimented with the same concept executed in two different locations. The location is one of my favourites ... a series of stair-step falls along the river near my house. The stones there are mostly soft sandstone except for a few granite-like boulders along the shoreline... these have been washed down from further up the river. The moss seems to prefer these boulder for a growing area.

I collected the leaves from a neighbour's yard and though they are not "wild" tree varieties, they were still very local and I chose them for their unusual colours. The leaves are all brand new and incredibly fragile. I am used to the leather-like quality of the leaves when I work with them in autumn, but the new spring arrivals tear more easily than tissue paper....this surprised me. The wind came up several times as I was making the first piece on the boulder. I had to hover over the entire piece to shield it from the unexpected gusts. A rainstorm passed thru. Once it was gone, calm returned, but not the sun. I liked the spiral on the boulder very much but wanted to see what would happen if I placed the leaves in water.


So, next I re-created it here in a shallow pool. I had added a few lilac blossoms for contrast and extra colour. The piece seemed to take on a life of its own as the wind and gentle currents moved it about the pool. Then it "landed" here and seemed to stick...it seemed at home.

I enjoyed this experimentation very much. I hope to work more with the water later this year once it warms up a bit more. Spring has been very cool so far.

Monday, May 19, 2008

This house was created last year. The river had carved out some lovely areas in the bedrock along one of the banks and the moss had been fed by the spring rains so it was rich and full. The large cottonwood tree had sheltered the area from the ravages of the winter ice and floods of spring. Lots of great building stone could be found, hidden in the pools and streambed below this site. It was on the side of the river that had a nearly vertical wall of vegitation going up approx 30 ft.... a challenging spot to reach, but such a pleasant place to work once one had managed the steep climb down.
This house took several days to construct and much of the structure remains hidden in this view, but it best shows that nestled feeling provided by the roots of the massive tree. Across from this spot a large pool and picnic rock was easily accessible, and fishermen and women would work the other side of the river sometimes not even realizing I was there. Weeks after creating the piece it still stood, sheltered under the tree. I would sometimes wander over to the fishing/picnic rock and listen to the kids eagerly pointing out the house across the pool to disbelieving parents. THAT was fun !

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Dandylinth


Labyrinth made of Dandelions. Had to rush to complete the lines before the flowers started to curl up. Brilliant spring day, a bit too breezy...the lines kept shifting slightly in the waving grass. Many migrating bird species seemed to have arrived today on the warm southerly winds. My fingers were stained bright yellow-orange afterwards...I was afraid I might contaminate the camera !

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Rock Garden delights

I'm still getting used to all the greenery once more...and all the colour from the flowers ! Today the Hummingbirds arrived in the garden...exactly a year to the day from their arrival date last year. How do they do it ? So many mysteries in Nature!

After months of working in the cold with snow and ice it takes awhile to get back into the rhythm of creating these sorts of sculptures... they are so much more complicated to construct. I love doing the stonework bits...this one does not have a lot of stone to it, but the trail leading up to the cottage has a lot more steps not in the photo. Bumblebees kept crashing the scene - so busy with their work. Birds are courting and nesting ...everything is rushing headlong into warmer weather with glee. As I was shooting this photo a strange sound started happening overhead....then I realized...the new leaves were out and the wind was rustling through them...it always surprises me this first recognition of leaves high up overhead. For nearly half a year the forest has been quiet and reserved. Now it is brimming over with the sounds of new life. It is sometimes a bit overwhelming after the long, deep stillness of winter. But in-between the bird songs and bee drones, it almost seems as if one can hear tiny giggles and laughter coming from under the violet leaves as they sparkle in the morning sun.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Green Blessings


Oh ! the magic of secret places deep in the forest... tiny footpaths and mossy trails... open doors and open windows... the hush of twilight drifting across the gentle green glade.

This is a place of peace and magic.

Friday, May 2, 2008

A week-end get-away


I did not make these this year... they are from my first year of doing this work. But all the same daffodils are now in full bloom in the garden and they just make me smile. This was my very first experiment with a live flower sculpture. It was hard to work on something so small and so fragile after being used to dealing with ice and snow. To me they looked like little beach cabanas that the Faeries might use to take a nap in after working hard in the garden all morning. Or Faerie camping tents... do Faerie go camping?
Yes, sometimes we all need a break ... even from "serious" art and we need to just kick back and have some fun !!
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.