As a child, I grew up
by the ocean. I can remember running out to the waves, the warm sand and sun
were like welcoming friends. A few years passed and we moved to the forest and
lived in an old hunter’s cabin high up on a mountain. Our view was a quiet and
fascinating wildlife refuge, a marshland filled with birds and fish. Behind us
was the forest, where deer and raccoons wandered, hidden in the trees. Many of
my days were spent paddling quietly in our small boat amid the rushes and reeds
of the lake near our home, as I listened to nature’s beautiful sounds. Walking in the
woods, I could feel the quiet presence of everything around me. I can remember
feeling amazed at this beautiful world and always wanting to be a part of it.
Those years of living
with nature had a lasting effect on me. This comforting and fascinating world I
was so happily absorbed in has stayed with me throughout my life and now seems
to be blossoming freely. The creations that spring from my imagination and
spirit seem to come from the inspiring childhood that I had. I have come to
realize what a very important part nature has in life. It is a spiritual world
and we are connected to it in ways we do not always realize. It’s quiet,
amazing voice can teach us everything that is good and peaceful and real.
I am continually moved
by the simplicity and yet great intelligence of nature and I am humbled to find
motivation to create from it’s well spring of beauty and magnificence. It is a
joy each time I sit down to begin a piece; the outcome as much a surprise and
delight to me as it seems to be for the spirit of the natural materials I use.
All the wonderful
“gifts” I have always loved in nature have opened a new world for me and now
give me happiness and creative freedom. To be able to share these “stories of
my life” with others is a gift as well. There is so much to see in nature if we
look closely and if we remember how, as little children, the world of nature was
an incredible, wondrous place.
My love for children
and remembering my own wonderful childhood with comforting and happy feelings
strengthens my belief that we need to hold on to those joyous and carefree
times. Those precious experiences are what carry us through this world,
overwhelming and difficult as it often is.
I began creating these
natural furnishings because I wanted there to be more of childhood in the
world. I wanted to show that life is still wonderful, still filled with
amazement, beauty and happiness. Nature is simple; it is the purest and the most artistic creation.
To work with flowers, leaves and grasses and myriads of other natural materials
is an awe-inspiring experience, for in the process of creating with nature, our
childhood smiles return, our vivid memories of summers and running through the
trees come back as if it were yesterday. I create to bring back the dreams of
childhood. I hear the voices of nature and age slips away, stories unfold and
time is just a word. I create with nature because I can’t believe that the
world is bad. I know it is a beautiful garden and it is endless.
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