art challenge

Jan Johnsen’s “Spirit of Stone,” and an Art Challenge for Earth Day

Wow, it’s been more than a year since we started our backyard makeover! We began by replacing our thirsty lawn with drought tolerant, earth-friendly plants—envisioning, as we did, a haven for birds, bees and butterflies, and a sanctuary for us.

Salvia spires, cape fuchsia, lavender and roses…they’re sprawling across decomposed granite walkways now, perfuming the air as they reach for the skies.

Heaven must surely be a garden, or so they say. And by they, I mean me. Most of the time. Songbirds perch on the feeder, singing their little hearts out. Visual harmony, however, is still very much a work in progress.

In this next phase, I’ll expand my color palette—maybe add some splashes of yellow.  I want also to rein in the random groupings, clustering whimsical pieces and grounding the airy (read: unruly) salvia with rocks.

How to accomplish all that? I hadn’t a clue.

That’s where Jan Johnsen’s latest book, THE SPIRIT OF STONE, comes into play. Have you read it? If not, go grab yourself a copy!

In seven, beautifully illustrated chapters, Johnsen offers new and/or freshly interpreted ways to incorporate stones into your outdoor living spaces. Quick confession: I’ve never really understood the notion of hoisting huge boulders into your yard, willy-nilly, or scattering white gravel around your succulents. It doesn’t look…well, natural. But after reading this book, I’ve come to realize that a few, well-chosen rocks will add dimension–maybe also a bit of sparkle–to my flowerbeds.

Courtesy Jan Johnsen, Spirit of Stone

There are important design considerations, of course. Johnsen walks you through the options.  Rock gardens, cairns, stairs, stacking stones, accent pieces and Zen sculptures… she details the possibilities, and then shows you how to bring your favorite ideas to fruition.

I appreciated that Johnsen braided practical advice and deeper knowledge, and that she explored the ‘spiritual’ significance of rocks. Some people attach meaning to their beautiful colors, shapes, and textures. We might also see them as talismans of strength and endurance. As metaphors, they speak to us in ways that flowers cannot. As Antoine de Saint-Exupery said: “A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, being within him the image of a cathedral.”

Courtesy Jan Johnsen, Spirit of Stone

The Spirit of Stone is at once practical and spiritual, and it’s as beautiful as any coffee table book you’ll find. I’m keeping my copy handy, as I reimagine my garden landscape this spring.

And…

Because it ties in so nicely…

The Art Challenge prompt for April is Earth Day, so apropos!

Let your imagination flow like water over rocks, inspired by this global celebration of Mother Nature (with an emphasis on conservation). The rules are simple:  1) Drop a note in the comments for this entry, to let me know you’re interested.  2) Sketch, paint, make photos, embroider, knit, write a musical score, record yourself dancing…. any creative interpretation is welcome! 3) Display your work on your own blog, over Earth Day weekend (April 21-23).  4) Link it here, in the “gallery of participants” I’ll provide in an updated post.

Art Challenge of the Month: Rituals and Routines

Mindful 

(a poem from Mary Oliver’s collection, Why I Wake Early)

 

Everyday
I see or hear
something
that more or less

kills me
with delight,
that leaves me
like a needle

in the haystack
of light.
It was what I was born for —
to look, to listen,

to lose myself
inside this soft world —
to instruct myself
over and over

in joy,
and acclamation.
Nor am I talking
about the exceptional,

the fearful, the dreadful,
the very extravagant —
but of the ordinary,
the common, the very drab,

the daily presentations.
Oh, good scholar,
I say to myself,
how can you help

but grow wise
with such teachings
as these —
the untrimmable light

of the world,
the ocean’s shine,
the prayers that are made
out of grass?

This is my contribution to the Art Challenge of the Month, Rituals and Routines. Want to join us? The rules are simple: “Draw, paint, photo shoot, embroider, install, write, muse …. any discipline is welcome. Over the weekend of March 18-19, come and announce here that you have posted.”

Art Challenge: Stars at Laguna Beach

The stars aligned for me yet again, in that this week’s Challenge Word enticed me away from my computer and into yet another outdoor adventure.  I grabbed a picnic lunch, my camera, and a couple of  books, and sped down PCH steered my roadster toward Laguna, which is where I photographed this constellation of stars.

There’s so much to love about Cynthia Lord’s upcoming release, A Handful of Stars. I’m reminded of my junior high school friend, Luz, the daughter of a migrant farm worker who takes a lead role in my contribution to the YA anthology, Dear Bully.

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Bibliophiles, don’t you fret! There’s a waxed paper barrier between this sweet little book & the wet sand.

Lucky me, I’ve also got an advanced review copy of Jeannine Atkins’ newest novel, Little Woman in Blue! At a time when women assumed subservient roles on the whole, artist May Alcott steps out from behind her famous sister Louisa’s shadows and becomes the star of her own life. *applauds wildly*

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Little Woman in Blue, sitting pretty on a lifeguard’s rescue watercraft

There’s a shortage of starfish in our local tide pools, so I brought one of my own, for the purpose of this challenge. Funny story: When I was snapping this picture, a cluster of Aussies gathered ’round, talking with animated gestures about what they’d assumed was a gift from the sea, washed ashore by these waves. We laughed about it afterwards, and they joked that they’d brought with them the whales that were breaching off shore before I got there.

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No, he’s not a star. But when this seagull kept wandering into the frame, I decided to give him his moment in the sun.

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This bright yellow bloom is a reflection of the sun itself,  which everyone knows is a star.

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Blue on blue, what a stellar day! I’d rate it five starfish out of five!

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Linkfest! If you want to see other bloggers’ responses to this week’s challenge, click here.

My photographic response to last week’s challenge, coats, is here.