I have been traveling a lot since February 25th. Not that far from Syracuse, NY my home. I went to So Jersey for 2 days in February and Washington DC for the month of March. I spent a couple days with my sister In Marlton, NJ and then home to Syracuse April 3. On April 19th, I came back to stay with my sister, visit friends and find places to display my art. I did all of those things.
Yesterday I met up with my friend Wendy, from Millville and we joined other folks she knew from a variety of Environmental agencies and groups to go scour an area that was just purchased to protect it as a Pine barrens area that will save pine snakes and other critters. When I got to the place I was very amazed at the dry undergrowth. There had been a fire nearby which blackened the woods for acres. In the area of our search, any passing motorist could flick a cigarette out their window and start a fire that would spread like gossip in a country diner. Fortunately, it didn’t happen when I was there, and the next day it rained a little to dampen the woods.
While I was there, I was amazed at what I learned from our guides, Jane and Emile. I learned how and where pine snakes wintered and nested-layed their eggs. A pine snake can travel up to a mile to lay eggs and 2 miles from their winter nest to find food and appropriate places to sun themselves. Politically, it is not easy to protect land in the area because of similar problems everywhere. The powers to be are more apt to want land to develop it to make money, bring jobs in the community, (even though jobs seldom manifest.)
I often think, now how does an artist help the environment. I have been wavering for a long while between working in oils and acrylics on traditional surfaces and doing what I refer to as Earth Art. I feel that now, it is imperative for me to evaluate how I will do art. I love 3-d and I love 2-d. I like to write about art and talk to people about their art. I feel in fact, a huge energy shift in myself, and in the people that I am meeting outside of the city of Syracuse. People that are interested in Art, Music, Spirituality and Peace.
I have collected some interesting colored and textured rocks, shells and earth and will utilize these in the paintings I do, not on canvas but on the Earth. I want to utilize what the Earth freely gives, and in turn not disturb it much. There is so much art done by artists everywhere.
more later