Thursday, January 21, 2010

All things change. A respose and offer to support the people of Haiti

Time to share some beauty, and perhaps a bit more.

You have seen other versions of this sculpture, now allow me to share a few more. Here we have the beginning of sunset. I have learned about photographing ice that back-lighting gives a lot of drama. Back-lighting with low sun angles and golden light makes it even better. What is surprising always is how purple the shadows become when the sky is so golden.

The last glittering moments of the day. The sun is now seen thru the trees on the far distant ridge-line of the mountain...the sparkling effect is much like a twinkling star on a clear night, which makes sense because our sun is a star too, after all. It happens for only a moment and cannot be fully appreciated in a still photograph. But even though the twinkle effect is not captured, all the other delicate reflections of turquoise sky being drawn down to earth by the icicles in the sculpture are there, glowing magically.

After the sun goes down most people linger for just a few more minutes, relishing the experience, and then turn to home. But I have learned that it takes another 20-30 minutes for the third and final piece of magic to reveal itself... the world of blues. All of the yellow glow needs to also slip behind the horizon and then the luminous blues begin to fill the scene. the palest blues are still held in and by the ice and give it and almost electric feel. Usually by this time I am very chilled, but it is always worth it to linger just a little more to get these amazing variations of light and dark. The whiter streaks in the background are the biting crystals of windblown snow being lifted and whipped across the field by the ground wind gusts which added the glittering effect in the image I had in the previous post.

And now for a final perspective. As it turns out, this sculpture, one that I was particularly pleased with, was photographed at the exact same time that the earthquake was happening in Haiti. Knowing this has been a difficult truth to accept. How could such a thing of beauty be presenting itself at the exact same moment when such darkness was descending onto so many families and people in a not-so-distant place? There is something about having a mega-disaster happen in one's own time-zone... for some reason, it brings it closer to home. I don't know why.
Personally, I've been grappling with how to sit in the place of "both/and" to allow the tragedy and the beauty to fill my heart simultaneously, being aware,
somehow, that they are both sides of the same Mystery. And this is a good place to start. But I also want to do more.

So, I have decided to make any and all of these images available as prints which will be used as fund raisers for Haiti relief. I will donate 100% of the profits from any sales of these images to The Red Cross and Doctors without Borders equally. If you would like to know more about this Haiti relief program, email me and I'll send you the details. Prints can be on canvas or on paper, your choice. Prices will range from $35 (plus shipping) on up, depending on the size you want and whether you want stretched canvas (requires no further framing) or paper prints, which will need framing. Use the email link to the right to contact me. I also have made a special print that has all three images together on one print. It is a long, horizontal image. I'll post it here shortly, or you can ask me for more details if you are interested. I will try to put together a better promotional information packet and post it here for those who may be interested but might be shy about emailing.

I'm not trying to leverage this situation for extra profit or play on anyone's sympathies. It is just a way to use the beauty of a profound moment to support the HEALING of the tragic results from the same moment which occurred in another part of the world. We are all one. There really is no separation. This is just a way I can, with your help, give back. Thank you.

(My apologies for confusing wordage in the previous version of this post. A kind reader helped me clarify what I was trying to say with my offer. Thanks! )

Blessings of love to one and all,
Namaste,

Sally

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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.