Tuesday 25 August 2009

Invoking the Muse

This photo was taken in a Nature Reserve near Stourport. It struck me that the bark was naturally shaped like the tips of asparagus spears, reminding me of strength and love. To me, nature is so divine, beautiful, crucial, inspirational...

The whole world should be a nature reserve where nature is respected, loved and cared for by all. I look at this tree and know there is a Dryad, an Elf, a spark of magic connected to the essence of its being.

A little over a week ago I posted this picture under the heading 'Beginnings'. I did not know at the time this piece would be an offering to just that. Beginning's. New life, reforestation, the next chapter. When this piece is complete it shall go to Greece to help spark a new home for wildlife, a legacy of nature for the young and an act of defiance to the monsters who created the fire.

My daughter has been helping. Quite the inventor, she has come up with yet another technique for making felt. She has been rolling old roller skate wheels over the bubble wrap. Its amazing her creativity saves my wrists and fingers from wear and tear.

The obsession of felting has made my mind one tracked. I now see hidden meanings of wool, fleece and felt where they never lived before...

To and fro we leap
And chase the frothy bubbles,
While the world is full of troubles
And anxious in its sleep.
William Butler Yeats

Today, I braved the contrary weather and set up out doors. I think I felted for all of 20 minutes before the clouds loomed in and rain began to drop from the skies. After a couple of hours of rain the sun shows her face, the clouds dispersed and the sky is blue. I look for the rainbow. In England we have so much rain. If only I could share it with Greece so that the tender droplets could gently kiss and sooth the scorched land, lending a natural hand in subduing the remaining flames.

This project has been slow in the making, so many things have crossed my mind. The potent melody of Saul William's has played over and over through the speakers of imagination.

Dear goddess, can you hear me now
Clear the way and prepare me now dear goddess, can you hear me now
Dear goddess, we made this break
Beat just for you as an offering, can you hear us now
Dear goddess, we made this
Break beat just for you as an offering, can you heal us now
Saul Williams ~ Our Father

And as I listen, I hear myself repeating; Dear Goddess, can you hear me now? I make this felt as an offering. Dear Goddess...

For I believe in the Divine Feminine, Mother Nature, The Muse... I make this felt as an offering to Mother Nature in the hope that we can help her heal. Reforestation. Art for trees!

I will post again about the Greek Fire tragedy. Buzzing bees are busily working to present an exhibition of art to be auctioned in Greece. All proceeds will go to the reforestation of the area. The children of the land will plant and name the trees and learn of the importance of connection to nature. If you would like to donate a piece of art please let me know. Manya of mythcolour will keep us updated of where we can send our offerings to. There will be press releases.

15 comments:

Caio Fern said...

wow !! theres so much thing on this post .
sure , all conected .
felting has being a real art in your and your daughter's hands .
the whole world should be a nature reserve .

Jasmine said...

Thank you Caio :)

Anne said...

your daughter is a smart girl.
i love the idea of the roller skate wheels.

the birch is such a divine and lovely tree.
she is the sign of hoop and new beginnings.
i use her bark for skin problems.
maybe we could ask her to helprepare the burned skin of the greece:))

Jasmine said...

Assayya - You know such wonderful things about nature x

Anders Enochsson said...

I love your picture of the nature reserve. It reminds me of a world heritage place I live close by, Gamla Uppsala. It was once the most important place of pagan worship in the Norse countries and was the last place to be christened (in a war, this last non Christian place didn’t give up without some fight). Strange, I read somewhere that the medieval Swedes where shorter then their “Viking” counterparts, according archeological evidence. I think they lost much in the process of civilization.

Janine said...

Jasmine I love your photos!

What a clever idea for wet felting!

Manya Maratou said...

jasmine! I have created a new blog for the project, the first press release is going out tomorrow, there were a few practical matters to iron out before publication.. now it is rolling www . attikasos . blogspot .com
posting info is up, there will be more info tomorrow- it is just too late now to go on
xxx
million thanks
manya

Manya Maratou said...

the rug is beautiful
every motion a prayer
full of beauty
a packet of good to help undo the bad

Jasmine said...

Manya thank you for the update. I will write a post and send emails to all who have expressed interest tonight. I will also let the felting forum know.

It is so much hard work for you in the aftermath of everything that has happened. If there is any other way I can help please let me know.

Harnett-Hargrove said...

Great blog. There is a resonance here. -Jayne

velvetwoods said...

Wonderful offering to mother earth goddess Jasmine. It is nice to remember to make a heartfelt (no pun intended!) offering to send your intentions across the universe.
Your daughter is a little angel. I love that tree photo of the Nature Reserve near Stourport.Nature is so awe-inspiring and I would love to see architecture in our cities that resonate and is nature inspired in the near future. I would like to see the demise of the concrete jungle.

Jasmine said...

Jayne - Thank you :)

Velvet Woods - I agree. Although some concrete is used to erect buildings inspired by nature. Gaudi's house for example. Although this is rare. Nature is most beautiful x

Jasmine said...

Ande - I'd love to visit Gamla Uppsala some day :)

Tammie Lee said...

I wish you well on your caring journey to Greece.
I so agree with the whole world being a nature preserve. That it is not is evidence of where we do not know ourselves-yet.
Your wool is wonderful, such a creative daughter you have!

Jasmine said...

Thank you Tammie x