Even though I live in the suburbs it is pretty urban here as
I am right on the border of the city of Chicago. My little urban garden suffers the ills and
blessings of being near the expressway.
The blessing is the garden itself; I have seen people stop and pause
next to it, as it offers a respite so close to the expressway. The other wonderful blessing is that it is
visited by many birds including birds of prey attracted to the expressway
possibly because it is very canyon-like.
The ills of an urban garden are obvious. Trash blows all too frequently
into its small space adding clutter.
This particular drawing from my sketchbook reminds me of the blessings
and curses of my urban garden. There seems
to be trash blowing about in this drawing, landing in odd positions but there
is also beauty in color, shape and texture, just as these contrasting elements
exist in the actual space of the garden.
Even though it is not spring yet, I enjoy the spring-like colors in this
sketch and in some of the debris that has landed within it. I do have flowers coming up in the garden—Glory
of the Snow, for one, is in full bloom.
I love that little plant because it is a sure reminder that spring is
right around the corner.
Tree Whispers Shinrin-yoku is a complementary medicine modality, designed to up-lift sub-par health conditions, through lifestyle changes that involve immersion in nature, specifically the wildness, we call a forest, where the senses, including our intuitive sense and ability to heal ourselves through it, is ignited. Forest bathing, as Shinrin-yoku is popularly called, has come to our attention, at a time when the scientific community is abuzz about the ability of trees - be it in stands, groves, or forests, to build community. This, at a time, when we as humans, struggle hard to build and sustain healthy in-person communities, in the face of Online communications. Books like “The Hidden Life of Trees: What they Feel, How they Communicate Discoveries from a Secret World,” (Wohlleben 2016) by Peter Wohlleben is a Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Washington Post bestseller. It makes readers privy to trees’ communication skills and social networks, that is, it helps us entertain...
Stephanie, your artwork and your writing always amaze me...
ReplyDeleteI always look forward to a visit here (i only wish i had more time to look at all your past posts!) :-)
Have a great weekend. xoxo
Thanks Pauline and I thoroughly enjoy your art and writing as well!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy looking at your different art pieces. You can see you really paint from the heart.
ReplyDeleteThanks Denise. Yes, I find artmaking to be a labor of love and it's all about heart.
ReplyDelete