You know you might be losing your sanity when you pick up a large paintbrush and this is the first idea that comes to mind. I just felt like dandelions are kind of like bright beautiful splattered paint across a boring green lawn… On a side note to that, I don’t understand why people pay to get their lawn sprayed with chemicals that kill off these yellow spots. I think dandelions are just beautiful. They create some contrast… And they also are great for the bees (which is important).
I found an old ice cream maker and decided to give it a try. I didn’t really follow any recipe but successfully made a vegan, dairy-free, vanilla-coconut, chocolate chip and sprinkle ice cream. I also made a batch of coconut-coffee with espresso grinds. It’s so good! You wouldn’t think making a dessert would be art, but I do. It’s all about experimentation and vision.
I grabbed a roll of tape and went outside with no motive. If you put yourself in a place where you need an idea quick, it usually comes to you. I also find that the most interesting ideas come in such desperation… I have been enjoying making images about controlling or restricting nature. It is very simple but think it speaks of a lot of things, including ourselves.
Many times I go into a store just browsing for inspiration, just a start of an idea. I left the hardware store with some twine and a few eye hooks. After some time in the yard I came up with this… Restriction. Oppression. Persecution.
Letha Wilson, “Rock Face Aqua”, 2011
Wilson studied art at Syracuse University (where I went to college) and abroad. Her work involves photography but really challenges the final product of the printed image by altering it’s physicality. Why are photographs always flat? Framed? Hung against a wall? Wilson’s work destroys these traditional concepts… Prints of nature interact with the architecture of the gallery. They are cut apart, painted over, or contain holes right through them. In “Rock Face Aqua” a photograph is pushed into the wall by a stone, wrinkling and peeling its surface. See more at http://lethaprojects.com/
Yet another attempt to redefine nature photography. Today I grabbed a sewing kit and went for a walk outside… Needlework in nature is a very important craft, and a very rare one as well. You might want to think about taking it up as a hobby or a serious life career.
I found a large glass lens from a darkroom enlarger. Spent the day refracting various scenes onto a white sheet of paper. Here is a refraction of the blue cloudy sky.