Chapter 7
A Sacred Garden
A Sacred Garden
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| A budding gardener visits Gardens For Humanity My mission is to wake people up to the beauty of our Earth, to fill them with curiosity to learn about the diverse and fascinating habits and customs of all living creatures and their habitats. It is about how to love and to know how much we all need each other. – Adele Seronde |
Immersed in the local art scene we looked forward every month to First Friday, a hotly anticipated evening in the tradition of art walks and gallery nights out that took place in towns and cities everywhere. On these festive evenings local galleries flung open their doors after hours as townsfolk and tourists crowded in for a look at new exhibits and latest offerings. The evening always drew usually a crush of interesting looking people to watch and offered a nice spread with pretty good wine and a selection of tasty tapas. When we learned revered artist and legendary Sedona grand dame Adele Seronde was featured in a fall retrospective on a First Friday we showed up early to meet this fascinating woman.
The show, 60 Years of Chasing Life celebrated her career as a painter, writer, environmental activist and social visionary. Sponsored by the Goldenstein Gallery which represents her in Sedona, the event honored the life and work of this 90-year-old living treasure. Advance press had portrayed her as larger than life and upon meeting her I saw it was true. Genuine warmth and wisdom radiated from her still stellar smile and beautiful face. I thought she must have been thrilled, the evening a triumph with hordes of admirers. Adele is the daughter of former Massachusetts Governor and Secretary of State Christian Herter and in her twenties at Bennington College in Vermont, studied under art luminaries Karl Knaths at the Phillips Museum in Washington, D.C., Hans Hoffman in New York City and Karl Zerbe at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
Louis and I spent a few moments with her, chatting about her work, the ins and outs of blog writing and how much of the the new technology was moving rapidly beyond the grasp of either of us. I told her I might be able to help her figure some things out, blog-wise, and she seemed grateful, suggesting we stay in touch. A minute more of pleasant small talk, a quick photo together and then she was whisked away to mingle with the others there to pay their respects. Louis had wandered off so I moved on through the exhibit alone, the better to peer at and savor the rollicking colors and seductive textures of her wall size paintings. I quickly fell in love with them, each and every one. The abstract landscapes were powerful, evoking a sense of disciplined freedom (the true definition of beauty) and each was an example of a fiercely personal expressionism in the service of nature. the shimmering, beckoning quality of the paintings radiated some kind of transformative spiritual electricity, an intangible grace that probably has always been available to awakened souls.
One of the best parts of the show was the Gardens For Humanity exhibit, showcasing work done by the group Adele founded in 1995. Nature is probably the greatest work of art any of us will ever encounter on this earth and the exhibit was a beautiful tribute to Adele's founding and patronage. The garden is a metaphor for healing and changing both self and community, an exploration of the symbolic Sacred Garden, the original paradise of everyone's dream. This truly visionary effort to educate young people, which includes all the young at heart among us who love gardens, has birthed scores of community gardens across the country.
Over the years Gardens For Humanity has received numerous accolades, including the "Take Pride in America" award for the use of volunteers to create gardens. The garden exhibit that night included space for artwork by young people celebrating nature, the ones who will ultimately be responsible for taking care of planet Earth. I took a picture of one little fellow and every time I look at it I see the future. He was so happy to be there, touchingly careful in his handling of the plants and rocks, shy and sweet but secretly thrilled I'd asked him to pose for a photo.
We left with two of Adele's books. Living Bridge is her book of poetry dedicated to her five children and eleven grandchildren. Our Sacred Garden: The Living Earth, Awakening the Visionary In Us is a fusion of nature stories, spiritual inspiration and personal memoir written straight from the heart of a gifted and kind soul. Adele had told me she wasn't through with her brilliant career, that she had another book in the works, this one about revamping the country's educational system. I'd given her a hearty thumbs up and a little hug, telling her I hoped she would finish the book soon because what she had to say so desperately needs to be heard.
The show, 60 Years of Chasing Life celebrated her career as a painter, writer, environmental activist and social visionary. Sponsored by the Goldenstein Gallery which represents her in Sedona, the event honored the life and work of this 90-year-old living treasure. Advance press had portrayed her as larger than life and upon meeting her I saw it was true. Genuine warmth and wisdom radiated from her still stellar smile and beautiful face. I thought she must have been thrilled, the evening a triumph with hordes of admirers. Adele is the daughter of former Massachusetts Governor and Secretary of State Christian Herter and in her twenties at Bennington College in Vermont, studied under art luminaries Karl Knaths at the Phillips Museum in Washington, D.C., Hans Hoffman in New York City and Karl Zerbe at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
Louis and I spent a few moments with her, chatting about her work, the ins and outs of blog writing and how much of the the new technology was moving rapidly beyond the grasp of either of us. I told her I might be able to help her figure some things out, blog-wise, and she seemed grateful, suggesting we stay in touch. A minute more of pleasant small talk, a quick photo together and then she was whisked away to mingle with the others there to pay their respects. Louis had wandered off so I moved on through the exhibit alone, the better to peer at and savor the rollicking colors and seductive textures of her wall size paintings. I quickly fell in love with them, each and every one. The abstract landscapes were powerful, evoking a sense of disciplined freedom (the true definition of beauty) and each was an example of a fiercely personal expressionism in the service of nature. the shimmering, beckoning quality of the paintings radiated some kind of transformative spiritual electricity, an intangible grace that probably has always been available to awakened souls.
One of the best parts of the show was the Gardens For Humanity exhibit, showcasing work done by the group Adele founded in 1995. Nature is probably the greatest work of art any of us will ever encounter on this earth and the exhibit was a beautiful tribute to Adele's founding and patronage. The garden is a metaphor for healing and changing both self and community, an exploration of the symbolic Sacred Garden, the original paradise of everyone's dream. This truly visionary effort to educate young people, which includes all the young at heart among us who love gardens, has birthed scores of community gardens across the country.
Over the years Gardens For Humanity has received numerous accolades, including the "Take Pride in America" award for the use of volunteers to create gardens. The garden exhibit that night included space for artwork by young people celebrating nature, the ones who will ultimately be responsible for taking care of planet Earth. I took a picture of one little fellow and every time I look at it I see the future. He was so happy to be there, touchingly careful in his handling of the plants and rocks, shy and sweet but secretly thrilled I'd asked him to pose for a photo.
We left with two of Adele's books. Living Bridge is her book of poetry dedicated to her five children and eleven grandchildren. Our Sacred Garden: The Living Earth, Awakening the Visionary In Us is a fusion of nature stories, spiritual inspiration and personal memoir written straight from the heart of a gifted and kind soul. Adele had told me she wasn't through with her brilliant career, that she had another book in the works, this one about revamping the country's educational system. I'd given her a hearty thumbs up and a little hug, telling her I hoped she would finish the book soon because what she had to say so desperately needs to be heard.
Meeting The Muse: Making Refuge
After meeting Adele we were inspired all over again to do our part to honor and preserve nature. An opportunity arrived very soon, a climate care mask making workshop put on by Inspiration of Sedona, an environmental educational non-profit. It was a powerful experience,evoking memories
of childhood feelings of protectiveness and nurturing for the living
things on earth. during the workshop I realized that over the years I'd tried to
ignore the sense of loss and the pervasive shrinking of the natural world. But a certain, almost subliminal sadness had persisted. It was high time to face all those old feelings (literally!) by paying homage through art to our fellow earthly inhabitants.
For my mask I chose the Monarch butterfly as a symbol for the beauty in nature, painting it in all its orange and black wonder on my new plaster face mask. I wanted to support this fabulous creature as it increasingly loses habitat, decreases in numbers and struggles for survival. I called my creation Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night after the Dylan Thomas poem.
The actual mask creation was pretty easy, maybe a little messy what with slopping on the prep goo and plaster, but still more fun than we'd had in quite awhile. After covering faces with plaster of Paris (with plastic covering the face first), we let it dry and then peeled it off. It was oddly appealing despite its stark blandness, even more so when we set about decorating it with paint, words, found objects, jewelry, leaves or whatever seemed fun and appropriate. We had a small exhibit later to display all the artist's masks. Twigs, rocks, feathers, angel wings, evocative renderings of wildlife, a glorious shining sun, all pasted, taped, stapled, or otherwise attached to a life mask of someone's face, were now on view, stunning and heartfelt depictions straight from the heart.
It was thrilling to see what could be accomplished when a few people, even with limited resources, decided to put their hearts and minds together to make a change for good. In a very real and meaningful sense This hands on tribute to my chosen symbol from the world of nature had provided a creative and healing way to address those lingering feelings of loss and bewilderment about the peril to our beautiful sacred garden, Earth. Making a nature mask gave us all a way to do our bit to make the world a better place by celebrating the beautiful and good through art.
For my mask I chose the Monarch butterfly as a symbol for the beauty in nature, painting it in all its orange and black wonder on my new plaster face mask. I wanted to support this fabulous creature as it increasingly loses habitat, decreases in numbers and struggles for survival. I called my creation Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night after the Dylan Thomas poem.
The actual mask creation was pretty easy, maybe a little messy what with slopping on the prep goo and plaster, but still more fun than we'd had in quite awhile. After covering faces with plaster of Paris (with plastic covering the face first), we let it dry and then peeled it off. It was oddly appealing despite its stark blandness, even more so when we set about decorating it with paint, words, found objects, jewelry, leaves or whatever seemed fun and appropriate. We had a small exhibit later to display all the artist's masks. Twigs, rocks, feathers, angel wings, evocative renderings of wildlife, a glorious shining sun, all pasted, taped, stapled, or otherwise attached to a life mask of someone's face, were now on view, stunning and heartfelt depictions straight from the heart.
It was thrilling to see what could be accomplished when a few people, even with limited resources, decided to put their hearts and minds together to make a change for good. In a very real and meaningful sense This hands on tribute to my chosen symbol from the world of nature had provided a creative and healing way to address those lingering feelings of loss and bewilderment about the peril to our beautiful sacred garden, Earth. Making a nature mask gave us all a way to do our bit to make the world a better place by celebrating the beautiful and good through art.
Making a mask of your own face gives a name to that face and a voice to feelings perhaps not able to be articulated in other ways. An artistic statement against the dying of the light of what's beautiful and true and innocent was for us a new way to rage and refuse to go away, gently or otherwise. A gathering of like minded souls ready to experience and make change could have a powerful impact, and it didn't take unlimited resources to get the process going. Just the energy generated for raising consciousness, reverberating long beyond the creative experience itself. Somehow now it didn't seem that hard to figure out a whole new way of relating to the natural world. After the workshop we found out about an outfit in Florida that sells milkweed seeds on a donation basis. Milkweed is the top favorite food of the Monarch butterfly and the idea is that you can do your bit by having a little stash for them in case they should come to your house on a flyby. So if you send a little money to the Florida people, they will send you a package of milkweed seeds with instructions on how to plant and nurture them. Why not start with just planting some milkweed in the back yard so the Monarchs, just in case a few stopped by on their annual migrations? After all, they give us so much and ask for only a little habitat in return. |
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