Mini Abstracts - recyled art works & up coming eco-event

 Out of the chaos ! 🎇 first image work in progress.

Messy chaos working on recycled
 works yf 24

Over a number of weeks I have been working on up-cycling a batch of old art into new mini abstracts. The idea is to get enough ready in time for the next display to be held at Carlton Marsh Reserve, which is part of Suffolk wildlife conservation. This will be held over the month of September 24. I hope to work along  similar eco-based themes ....Having the sketchbook works on show, particularly focusing on inspirational people ...Such as Chico Mendes and Frans Krajcberg etc..

I'm hoping to add a "funtime" interactive piece for all ages public engagement.

As it will be held within the reserve people will have interests in nature and the role of conservation....

Along with this I will be working on which relevant quotations to the topic  again with the intention of public participation.

The actual display mainly focuses on the impact of deforestation and it's effects on ecosystems, including the symbiotic biodiversity of  flora, fauna and it will  include indigenous communities responding to the preservation of the wild. 

Although the work is based on a previous project that explored the impact of deforestation within the Amazon Rainforest, it is still relevant to the ongoing consequences today in many parts of the world. But there will be more about the project on a later blog .

Here are a few previously finished works and a number of mini abstracts in progress.

They are. Mixed Mediums-  acrylic, watercolor, crayon and ink ....theme title-  Cosmos macro- micro. 

Introduction to Chico Mendes & Franz Kracjberg.

Polish born Frans Krajcberg lived in the Amazon after the horrors of  second world war.  Frans wanted to leave Europe and describes how "Nature gave him back his humanity." His compelling story and inspirational eco quotes I hope to explore in more detail in this revisited project for September -  Carlton Marsh .

The last image below is 'part'  of Chico Mendes and The Brazil Nut Tree work in- Acrylic 2013 -( seen here as a post card.)

Some thoughts...... 

Did you know, that although the actual  brazil nut tree can be grown in other regions, it's only able to produce brazil nuts within the Amazon ecosystem ....this is due to a combination of orchids and bee species for its pollination. This highlights how specifically integrated to the Amazonian region these species are. It was not originally known how Brazil Nuts pollinate ....Understanding that the two species of  flora and insect, are only found within the Amazon, this seems to be key.

When deforestation induced by fire occurs, the brazil nut tree is legally protected from deforestation ...however as the rest of biodiversity around it is lost, sadly within a matter of years the brazil nut tree will eventually die. Paraphrased ref 1

Part of Chico Mendes and The Brazil
Nut Tree.

Ref 1 Chico Mendes - in his own words with Tony Gross. Book - Fight For The Forest. 1989. pg 40. Uk Central Books,99 Wallis Road. London. E9 5LN.

 

All Things Connect.

The phrase  "All things Connect"  is part of an original  quotation by Chief Seattle ....who stated, "Humankind we are but one thread, all things hold together...All things connect."

In a recent application to a nature conservation reserve, the two images below have  been  put forward for the reserves ecological based art display. Created in 2023, the semi abstract works are part of an ongoing response that considers the root causes of declining wildlife habitats - in particular the loss of biodiversity and degradation of rivers, soils and air, being due to certain pollutants.

The main idea is to convey how  industrial pesticide and herbicide use has been linked to the declines of many species of bird and insect pollinators. Each image portraying  a solitary creature abstracted from its natural habitat - embedded into an alienated space. The intention being to highlight the plight of wildlife species endangered by chemicals.

 The concern of pollutant impacts on biodiversity was originally realized by Rachel Carson in the early 60's, through her research and seminal book, The Silent Spring.

Also recently in, The Marginalian author Maria Popova succinctly describes the enchanting story of Beatrice Harrison whom in the 1940s would play her Cello in the evenings ...capturing the attention of the local Nightingale whom it was said, sang along to her Cello. ....Beatrice herself entranced by nature and the Nightingale...in later years poignantly said - " in the century of the self we would come to forget the cosmos of others" ....And responded to the eventual declines of the Nightingale saying Earth has grown impoverished of a million Nightingales. Ref 3 below .

Finally  natures balance....

The irony is that left to its natural state of being, wild predators will naturally bring about an equilibrium  (e.g pest control via thriving bird populations ) ...thus generally maintaining an ecological diversity and balance...creating a thriving harmonious environment....Therefore the tendency for expanding  pesticide use would diminish as natural balances gain momentum. Allowing also soils, land, habitats and rivers to recover from toxins.

This idea of nature's balancing act was similarly noted by Aldo Leopold back in the 50s in his book, "Think like A Mountain" . Leopold's own initial realization was that once certain large predators disappeared -  by means of  human manipulation in this case -  through the culling of wolves...deer populations would extensively increase. Initially this was seen as a beneficial gain to humans who hunted the deer. However as Leopold's own  understanding of ecosystems grew he was able to describe how the void of wolf predators within the natural order resulted in excessive deer population growth which then decimated the forest habitat revealing a necessity for a rebalancing within those ecosystems . Chief Seattle s knowledge and deep understanding of how all things connect still chimes more than ever in these current times. 

And as stated by Leopold, "One of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives in a world of wounds". Ref 2

All Things Connect- Wren. yf, 23

All Things Connect - Bee. yf 23

Bee , close up yf

Partial image Yvonne 

Civilization is a flimsy dust sheet that we have thrown over a psyche rich in emotion and instinct, shaped by the living planet. George Monbiot. Ref 2

ref 1 Think Like A Mountain Aldo Leopold .pg 44

ref 2 How Did We Get Into This Mess? George Monbiot pg 88 & 89.

Ref 3 please visit The Marginalian online by Maria Popova . New book reviews The Cello and The Nightingale. 

Thank you for visiting my eco artspace🙏🌈🐦