Friday, September 11, 2009

Sad heart

Sad news. Sad Heart.

I was at the river yesterday to work and when I had finished I decided to go upstream to check on the Shire House. There I made a sad discovery.

Something had torn it apart.

It is so hard to see a labour of love get destroyed.

I took all the moss off and noticed that the heart stone that I had put in the center of the sculpture was now open and exposed. Very much how I felt/feel. I had placed it just behind the doorway, so it was hidden from the viewers but was still there in secret. Now, whatever had attacked the house had dislodged the roof, the door and one of the windows. It was a mess. I sat on the rock where just a few days ago I had sat with some friends as we enjoyed seeing this in its beauty... this came as such a shock. Who would do this? An animal possibly, but doubtful... there were no smells of food here, nothing that would entice any of the creatures that live here... possibly a raccoon...but no matter how it occurred, the damage is done. I just couldn't bear it.. I took 2 photos and went home with a sad and heavy heart.

Perhaps I will rebuild it... or maybe I'll just take it apart completely and scatter the stones back to the river. I don't know yet what is going to happen, I just know that it feels terrible to see this. This was a special house, it had special energy in it. Always the question is an open one... try to rebuild or just let it go. I know real families have to deal with this sometimes.. when disaster strikes... fires... floods, hurricanes. My pain is very small compared to what they must deal with. This was just a tiny sculpture of whimsy and fun... but it still hurts to see one's heart-centered work all ripped apart.

I've collected and saved the door, windows, roof beams and tower window... I wish I had brought the heart stone... but maybe I'll go back to get it. I could rebuild this... it could be a further act of giving to the Faerie beings... I'll just have to wait and see what feels right to do.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lanie says it was probably done by a bad fairy.

Erika M said...

I found a calendar with your work in the bookstore the other day and immediately knew I had to stop by the site! I'm very glad I found your blog. I just spend the night going through every enty looking at your beautiful work! It gives me such a wonderful amazed feeling to see it all. Not just the faerie houses (though they are my favorite) but the rest as well :) Have you heard of Lew Frech? He pieces stone together perfectly for his pieces. You have a wonderful gift to be able to unify these pieces of nature.

I love how I can just get lost in the fantasy of the faery houses!
I'm just 17 and college and the rest of my life is around the corner after this year of school. I've known all along art is what I want to study, but I have never been very good at it. It is artists like you who inspire me to go beyond the traditional ways! I wonder how you began your nature work?

When I finally read this last entry, which i see is so recent, I was sad as well to hear the news! I can certainly imagine hpow it must be horrible. You gave it a life, and it was a piece of you out in the world for whomever to see.
Find comfort in the fact that it was shared! We loved it, and all things out in nature have a time to end.
But you must know, I fancy it an old ruins of faeries who have simply relocated to hide, and left some little bit of magic for us.

I look forwards to more (you should find me a regular on here) and much luck! Thank you!
Erika

Sally J Smith, Environmental Artist said...

Dear Erika M, What a lovely long comment, thank you !!

What can I say to a young person who obviously has passion for line and form? I guess I would say to study nature. Nature is the best teacher. If you like this kind of non-traditional art, then go and start playing with it. Let yourself just experiment, be intuitive... dare to have spectacular failures! :-) Good drawing skills are helpful. They help you translate the vision from your eyes through your hands into another form...keep your drawing skills and keep practising being creative with nature. Do some art everyday...even if it is just setting the dinner table in a new way. Let the creative impulse become your best friend...trust it. Always make your best effort. You will find your way, it may take time, enjoy the journey, the destination is not so important.

Thank you for your kind words... and I like the idea of seeing the Shire House as a small ruins... something I had not considered... maybe I'll go tidy it up a bit and plant more vine-y things and mosses and let them give that feeling...nice idea... thanks!

Sally

Sally J Smith, Environmental Artist said...

Dear Anonymous,

For Lanie: It may indeed have been done by a bad fairy, but if so they were very strong ! I have the feeling it may have been an animal, either someone's dog or a raccoon. Possibly a bear. I had seen a bear near this area a few weeks before... but I think a bear would have done MORE damage...their paws are very big. I did see one very fresh canine paw print in the sand. It may have been a camper's dog, or it may have been a coyote. But if it was a bad fairy, then I hope they have gone somewhere else!! :-)

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.