We had hoped that installing the necessary septic system for the studio wouldn’t cause too much of a scar on the desert landscape adjacent to the building, but alas, we were wrong. Instead we were left with a very large area where any thriving plant life had been completely decimated, luckily very few trees were harmed in the process – but still. What to do with such an eyesore?

We talked about replanting the space with local native species, and of course adding art but it just seemed so sparse that it was like putting a bandaid on a gaping wound. So inspired by a friend’s design in their garden, we created a sprawling 25′ wide labyrinth on the space instead. I wish that I had taken a photo of the ‘before’ because the results are pretty dramatic but since there’s no photographic proof, that just tells you how much no one really wanted to remember the ‘before’.

Hundreds of wheelbarrows of dirt later, we evened out the area, removed dead plants and hid the majority of the visible tank lid area. Then laid out the pattern which is a slightly unique labyrinth design that allows patrons to enter on one end, follow the path to the center and then exit, winding out the opposite side. Typically labyrinths have one path into the center that is then followed back out again, as a way to practice mindfulness, meditation and create balance as one walks the path.

Since our path leads literally to the septic tank lid (which will of course be covered and disguised with a very cool sculpture) a friend suggested that one should walk our labyrinth path with mindfulness and spirituality and then just get rid of our shit and keep on going. I have to say, I like this type of mindfulness and it all seems very appropriate to me. Thoughts??

The path is lined by rocks from our property but they will slowly be replaced over time with hand made ceramic rocks from my Rock Candy Series, to add color and another layer of creativity to the space. It will take awhile to replace all the rocks but that is its own journey of mindfulness and meditation. I imagine that the center sculpture will also be changed out overtime too, so that the labyrinth evolves alongside the land it is placed in, regrowing and rebuilding with time.

This was an unplanned element to add to the up and coming sculpture garden but I’m excited by it’s potential and it’s definitely a much better visual than the scar of construction, so with that, you are cordially invited to come and walk the path, leave your shit behind and enjoy the view!

To be honest, I’m not a big gift giver, or a big fan of receiving gifts, especially if it’s “just because” it’s holiday season but sometimes a gift is the best way to really show someone that you care. When I do give gifts, they tend to be handmade, consumable, and/or an experience I can share with the person. When I travel, I seek out souvenir gifts that follow these same rules and I end up with a story to tell and a great memory from that purchase. It takes a little more effort to gift this way, but I think it’s worth it.

When you buy from a small business, you support an actual human. And when you buy from a maker, you support their creative contribution to a community. As someone who sells tangible items, I can tell you first hand how much your choice to buy something handmade by an actual human supports my world.

So, this is all to say, if you’re buying gifts for those that you love this holiday season, the online shop is open! And if I don’t have what you need for a gift, please consider supporting other independent makers – they will definitely appreciate it way more than your big box stores. As always, thank you for your support – I couldn’t do it without you!

Since I’m still obsessed with all things plankton related, I couldn’t help but share this article NPR recently released on the connection between plankton and climate change. The science geek in me, loves to read about how important plankton are for sustaining life on our planet. The artist in me wants to figure out how I can share that knowledge through my art.

In the article, ‘How dead stuff at the bottom of the ocean helps slow the pace of climate change‘, Stanford bio-engineering professor Manu Prakash says, “The small stuff controls the big stuff. On our planet, that’s a rule that we should think about. That the small stuff really matters.”

This idea relates well to my concept of creating the plankton blooms installations, taking a single cell plankton which are impossible to see with the naked eye, and making them made big enough to relate to in the gallery. Then assembled in the form of a plankton bloom, which in nature is big enough to be seen from space and shrinking it down to fit the gallery walls, ultimately, makes the unseen, seen. I love how changing our perspectives allow for the information to sink in through the visuals of art.

To read the full article, click here.