The Plant Beings come alive July 9th

Outdoor ephemeral installation, July 9, 2022, Back 40 area at Columbia Ecovillage

I chose July 9th according to the phases of the moon and it turned out to be a beautiful day. Thank you, universe. The title, Plant Beings, reflects how I feel about the botanical prints that I've been making, or more truthfully, have been coming to me through the plant pigments and shapes that I can't completely control.  The prints also called to be outside in the trees moving with the breezes and as I observed, catching falling leaves. So, I complied and picked the special date of July 9th.  

My crew of Denny and Kamarin hung the pieces that morning. As each one took its place, I was amazed at how beautiful they looked to me. I loved seeing the colors, shapes, and energy. Before then, the work was still a picture in my imagination. But we were able to create a magical contemplative space beginning with the entrance through the back gate and fabric curtain. Each person who walked through the installation had their own relationship and understanding. Some stayed at one spot for a long time observing the waving fabric. One person followed the directions of the piece Lay and lay down on one of the cloths on the ground looking up into the canopy of Mulberry leaves and branches above. Some walked along the whole 50 feet length of Reach examining the fabric and feeling the long shape changing with each vantage point. Gather lived up to its name, being a hub for people to sit together with the dancing fabric panels.

Seeing art outside has special qualities: surprise, interaction, sensations. It was new to me to do on this scale, and I'm hooked. The soft green, grey, and brown colors were, of course, harmonious and the shapes spoke to the aliveness all around. I was pleased to observe how the artwork activated or created new ways of seeing the land and trees emphasizing different parts: the flatness under the mulberry tree, the vaulted branches of the black walnut tree where Turn spiraled, the expanse between the two cherry trees held together by Reach and the variety of beautiful branches in the old apple tree where Gather hung.