Rose Gentian7/22/04 seed pods from Martha Younkin
7/22/04 from Martha Younkin
Is there some way to "lighten" the grid pattern? Either by making it smaller, or by using some kind of material that will move it to the background? Maybe take another plant to highlight on the right side, to mirror the left? I like the American aloe! Also the red cap and hands are a great idea!
Click here for Martha's seed pods...
7/22/04 from Andrea Hoerr
I'm interested to hear/see how people respond to the red hands, I think they're strong. The border pattern is too much in my book and it distracts from the harmony of the rest of the piece. Maybe just on the right hand border? Or something less intricate for the 3 borders would be better?
The cranes give me a sense of movement, peace and unity with people and nature. Migratory stop over points that cranes depend on reinforces this unity, as does your inclusion of ag land, buildings, etc.
All of us who respect and care for nature should be proud to be a part of the movement to protect habitat for crane species, and efforts to protect native habitat and restore larger block of wetlands and grasslands will mean good things for thousands of animals and plants of the prairie.
7/20/04 from Cindy Hildebrand, Ames Iowa
I like both your panels. The flying crane seems to be somehow blessing the landscape it's flying over, and the dancing crane exudes exhilaration.
I've been doing prairie work since 1981, I guess, one way or another. I spent several years working as a volunteer conservation lobbyist in the Iowa Legislature, during which time I worked on natural area protection and served on a state committee that selected a few good prairies for public purchase. I don't know if it would be possible or appropriate to include this motif, but I found out that there are hard-working people who spend their days in small cramped offices surrounded by mounds of paper and/or wearing uncomfortable suits, communicating with other suit wearers, who are doing just as much to save prairies as those of us who are out there in the field whacking down invasive woodies and collecting seed. I salute those people, especially now that I'm one of the whackers and collectors.
I'm sure you'll get more good ideas than you have room for, which is great. I'd like to put in a plug for including a prairie-dependent invertebrate or two. (Maybe they are in there already -- my computer isn't letting me see details very well, sorry.)
I'm partial to regal fritillaries, which are gorgeous, but for this project, I'd vote for one of the small endangered prairie skippers, like the Dakota Skipper. They are smaller than regals, but just as wonderful -- very powerful, determined little animals, and amazing fliers. I haven't seen one of the endangered species, but have seen a few of their relatives.
I think such an inclusion would indirectly honor another group of important prairie people -- the professionals and amateurs who search out rare prairie species, some of which are small and little-known, and document them and do research on their biology and what kinds of prairie management they need to survive. Many of those people spend many hours of unpaid time in the field.
Morning Glenn!
Are you pulling your hair out yet? Here are some more ideas, if you haven't seen them before:
http://community.webshots.com/album/87753081JbEozx/5
Later,
Martha
Rose Gentian
7/18/04 two emails from Andrea Hoerr
Hi Glenn! This is exciting stuff you're doing, what a fabulous thing to be able to contribute a few comments to! Bit of background: I'm a member of TPE for several years, do restoration work on our 47 acre land in SW Wisconsin (Driftless Zone) and am a team leader at the UW Arboretum about once per month. Thinking about this stated goal: "pieces can convey the idea that across the continent there is litereally a mosaic of postage stamp sized parcels of restored prairie, existing, or being reclaimed between large patches of agricultural land. Land stewards and farmers among others try to find a balance in the landscape. " leads me to fling out a thread from my experience and attitude.
I've been thinking about the idea of prairie and native ecosystem restoration as a type of sacrifice, or perhaps expiation. A way to acknowledge what we have gotten from nature, to say, yes, we have overstepped our bounds, we recognize this, and we are making efforts to try to swing the pendulum back. Almost an idea of "in order to understand, we have to destroy," but not that dramatic. Yes, we have taken too much, but many people have recognized this and are taking concrete steps to try to undo what has been done.
Sometimes I wonder if we had to destroy things in order to value them? Is ecology and restoration only possible when a society has reached a level of security and order that it has the luxury of having this kind of dialog? Rambling along, I would like to talk about the human aspect of this piece. A way to incorporate the work that goes into (1) recognizing the problem, (2) valuing what is lost and having the hope and vision that it can be rectified, (3) educating oneself and others about how to mend things, (4) actually doing the work. Lots and lots of work, back breaking labor, painful encounters with brambles, prickly ash, wild parsnip, poison ivy. Learning how to use tools such as the brush mower, weed whip etc. Spending hours stooped over pulling up the last little bits of garlic mustard. How about (5) what don't we do in order to participate in the restoration ethic? What suffers? One of the many tools in the restoration toolkit is the use of pesticides (herbicides). We have gotten to such a point of no return with invasive species that sometimes the judicious use of pesticides is necessary. When I have to use pesticides at the Arb or elsewhere, I am struck also by the dye color that ismixed in with the poison so you know where you've been working. When I'm done spraying, my hands (gloves) are a bright red. Another link to the idea of sacrifice.
Another idea is what the Navajo weavers do with their works. They intentionally incorporate a flaw into their work as they recognize believing that one can achieve perfection is hubris and tempts the gods. There is no way that all of our restoration work can replicate the perfection that existed. What are we unable to achieve in our restorations? What soilmicroorganisms are lacking? What pollinators have gone elsewhere?
Good luck with all of this, I look forward to seeing the work progress.
Andrea Hoerr
ahoerr@yahoo.com
Hi again,
I wanted to let you know that I very much how you're having the crane fly off of the border. I'm sure there's a technical term for that technique, but I've always been drawn to that style.
Thanks! Andrea Hoerr
I like the idea of the red glass glowing in the head of the crane, just
got a visual of a bindi on a holy person in India. (red dot on forehead)
7/18/04 two from Martha Younkin on where her triangle and grid inspiration came from
Glenn,
Here are some examples of what the grid work can end up as, depending on which direction you place the diagonals. The triangles are worked from that point on, and you end up with different patterns:
Good evening Glenn!
You know, you don't have to use all my suggestions! But your revisions look good! I spent the day today out in the sunshine and wind, soaking in the gorgeous weather, collecting seed. What an incredible day!
Where did the triangle thing come from? Let's see....... I was doing a gourd. I knew what I wanted for images, and I had space leftover that needed something. The curvature of the gourd and the outlines around the images just begged for lines with patterns. So,..... the lines went in,.... then double lines..... Then connecting lines between the lines, that made the squares..... Then the woodburning tool I was using, with a wedge shaped head, was the deciding factor for the triangles.... I guess what I'm saying is that the process of creating the gourd work is where the triangle thing came from! Kind of like going with the flow, or listening to the creative part of yourself. Where does music come from, when it wasn't there before?
Anyway, I'm rambling..... The revisions look good.... As for your additional patchwork pieces, why don't you go with the kind of thing you had in your original sketches..... Maybe a patch of the incredible variety of seeds (Missouri Evening Primrose, Wild Indigo pods, Seedbox "packages", Milkweed pods......etc.). Another patch of Indian Grass, or Prairie Dropseed. Another patch of open sky and wind......
It's too bad you can't draw the sounds of the cranes! That's one thing I'm looking forward to when I head up that way. I've never heard the calls of sandhill cranes before.
Till later,
Martha
7/17/04 Comments from Martha Younkin on my use of her imagery.
I'm not sure if you planned it this way or not, but in the grid pattern, you have two triangles that are "wrong", if that's possible. The way I drew them was to take each triangle, then find the exact center point in the middle of the triangle, and connect that point to each corner. That makes three more triangles, and on and on, till they're too small to work with. Does that make sense? Your left hand triangle needs to be redone, and the lower right one needs one more connecting line.......
Also, the grid pattern seems unbalanced in the sketch, like it's out of place..... Maybe two smaller grid areas, lower right and upper left, to balance each other?? Or maybe do the grid inside the double lines of borders in the sketch?.......
And, (oh gees, will she never stop??) if the center image is of Rattlesnake Master, I suggest that you put in three of the flower heads instead of just one. My first impression is is that I'm looking at a pine cone......
I'm being a little blatent here, so just take all this as my suggestions. It IS your project!
Oh yeah, I love the fire!
Later,
Martha
7/16/04 Photo from Jill Metcoff.
Jill is a fine art photographer and priaire owner and part of the ALF/ICF Blufflands project. This is an image from a Blufflands-sponsored burn in Arena, Wisc, used in two exhibits this past year--at Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisc. and at the Center for Photography at Madison. It is from a 6X17 cm. negative which I shot on my Fuji 6X17 camera.
Jill has also been shooting cranes at ICF as part of a crane migration/prairie project with fellow artist Diane Farris who is from Gainesville, Florida.
7/12/04 from Martha Younkin
Martha was the first conference participant to join me in the project. She is doing a small restoration of a glady prairie (five acres), on her land, and as she puts it is "getting discouraged."
"I've found very little help in terms of financial assistance here in Missouri, and my body just isn't getting any younger! Two more years will throw me over the 50 year mark! But, inspite of that, the plants themselves are encouraging and exciting! Liatris, Rattlesnake Master, Prairie Dock, Penstemon, Purple Milkweed, are all coming into bloom this summer finally, and I can actually see results!"
Martha has posted photos of her efforts on WebShots: http://community.webshots.com/user/mattiely
She has a lot other creative endeavors there as well. A wealth of the kind of content I was looking for to tell some prairie stories within the collaborative art.
A few weeks ago Martha wasn't sure what she could contribute...
"I'm not sure what you could add as far as 'content from my project', but you're welcome use any of the photos. What did you have in mind? (I have a picture in my mind of you trying to portray my frustration at the Missouri Conservation Dept. for telling me that I don't qualify for any federal assistance because I only have four acres, for telling me that they just won't bother to help me with the cost for seed, for offering me a pitiful $70/acre to clear these cedars that are all over 30' tall, and too thick to walk through, and so dense that nothing grows under them! Their piddily $70 didn't even cover the cost to have the first acre cut, let alone cleaned up and cleared! It's taken me three years to do that work, all by myself!) ...... Okay, I'm through ranting now. Back to my passion for prairie. I'd love to help you somehow. Just let me know your thoughts!"
"You have a style in your work that I've been drawn to for years now. Kind of like a big colage of all the different pieces of life. I'm sort of doing that in the gourd I'm working on right now, at least on those days when I can't be outside working. Wet prairies..... a great blue heron, waterlilies, dragonflies, blue flag irises, etc., all woodburned into scenes or frames around the gourd......"
http://community.webshots.com/album/104423753KKEUEI/1
"Have you thought of using the patterns of the Rattlesnake Master
flower heads, 
©Martha Younkin
or the pattern in the centers of Purple Coneflowers, or Monarda blossoms? That's something that I've always been fascinated with, the incredible beauty of these simple things. They so easily get overlooked. ".
©