I made a piece of art for me! (and Mat and Madeline.) I can't remember the last time I made a piece of art with the intentions of keeping it. I make art for me all the time, but it's also for sale. But this piece is mine, so hands off! You can, however, request (or commission, if you want to use the technical term that might sound scary if you've never done it) me to create a similar piece for your home. Size, color, number and kind of leaves, placement, and more could all vary. These are all from leaves in our yard. When is the last time you looked closely at the veins of a leaf? They are so beautiful, endless, and unique to each particular plant.
Without further ado, here are the images of our new mantle art.
For a while I have been meaning to add another component to the blog. After watching a documentary on Jane Goodall, I was inspired to finally implement it. From now on (that's the plan, anyway) I will include a green tip and a source of inspiration.
I want my art to send a message; the message of how beautiful this world is, and that we need to embrace that we are but a part of it, not the rulers of it. We need to start respecting this planet, as the mother of all life, including ourselves and every other plant and animal. With that respect comes the responsibility to use our creativity, innovation, and knowledge to take care of our home, and the home of our children, and other generations to come.
With every small decision I make, I think of all of these things. Before I turn on a light I think, "Do I really need this? Or can I see just fine without it?" I live my life with as small of a footprint as I can. I hope that my art inspires others to take better care of the environment, but I realize they may not know how easy little efforts can be. Greener living becomes force of habit, just like anything else. So I have decided to share some tips from my own daily life so that perhaps others might be inspired to take on some new green habits. I am not a master of eco-living, of course, and I am still learning, so I would absolutely love to hear green tips from you as well.
Green Tip #1: When the weather is nice, turn off the air conditioner or heat, and open the windows. You'd be surprised how wonderful your house feels with a fresh breeze rolling through. It smells and feels amazing. Your body also gets used to a wider range of temperatures rather than only that 75 degrees you leave your thermostat at, so in the winter you can set it lower, and in the summer, higher. AND you'll save so much on energy bills. AND AND you'll start feeling a stronger connection with the world around you, rather than closed up in a little cave. We keep our windows open at least half of the months in the year, and we love it.
Inspiration comes to me daily, from as near as a bug crawling across my desk, to as far as the other side of the world. I decided to share some things that inspire me on the blog, so that perhaps you could find new inspiration as well.
Inspiration Source #1: "Jane's Journey" a 2010 biopic about Jane Goodall. The very documentary that inspired these green tips and inspiration sources. Jane Goodall is not just a chimp researcher, but a tenacious advocate for the environment. She amazes me. The documentary is currently on Netflix's watch instantly option.
Well, I hope that you have enjoyed this start of a new chapter of my blog!
Without further ado, here are the images of our new mantle art.
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| "Bonita Leaves" hand-cut paper and wood, by Heather Clements, 2012. |
Contact me if you would be interested in a similar piece of art!
Leaf inspiration!
For a while I have been meaning to add another component to the blog. After watching a documentary on Jane Goodall, I was inspired to finally implement it. From now on (that's the plan, anyway) I will include a green tip and a source of inspiration.
I want my art to send a message; the message of how beautiful this world is, and that we need to embrace that we are but a part of it, not the rulers of it. We need to start respecting this planet, as the mother of all life, including ourselves and every other plant and animal. With that respect comes the responsibility to use our creativity, innovation, and knowledge to take care of our home, and the home of our children, and other generations to come.
With every small decision I make, I think of all of these things. Before I turn on a light I think, "Do I really need this? Or can I see just fine without it?" I live my life with as small of a footprint as I can. I hope that my art inspires others to take better care of the environment, but I realize they may not know how easy little efforts can be. Greener living becomes force of habit, just like anything else. So I have decided to share some tips from my own daily life so that perhaps others might be inspired to take on some new green habits. I am not a master of eco-living, of course, and I am still learning, so I would absolutely love to hear green tips from you as well.
Green Tip #1: When the weather is nice, turn off the air conditioner or heat, and open the windows. You'd be surprised how wonderful your house feels with a fresh breeze rolling through. It smells and feels amazing. Your body also gets used to a wider range of temperatures rather than only that 75 degrees you leave your thermostat at, so in the winter you can set it lower, and in the summer, higher. AND you'll save so much on energy bills. AND AND you'll start feeling a stronger connection with the world around you, rather than closed up in a little cave. We keep our windows open at least half of the months in the year, and we love it.
Inspiration comes to me daily, from as near as a bug crawling across my desk, to as far as the other side of the world. I decided to share some things that inspire me on the blog, so that perhaps you could find new inspiration as well.
Inspiration Source #1: "Jane's Journey" a 2010 biopic about Jane Goodall. The very documentary that inspired these green tips and inspiration sources. Jane Goodall is not just a chimp researcher, but a tenacious advocate for the environment. She amazes me. The documentary is currently on Netflix's watch instantly option.
Well, I hope that you have enjoyed this start of a new chapter of my blog!
