Behind the Scenes

Shahreyar is building the gates to the garden, and I am transcribing the stories of farmers and gardeners. Then I'll be creating photoshop files so that the stories will be burnt onto 3x4 panels of cedar. It's a slow and steady process now. Not sure that we'll be done before the August 27th deadline, but we're doing our best.

Some photos of the first Weaving Our Dreams into Eden Reframed

Marcia weaving in the first dream.



Melody working with great concentration and commitment. She was with us all day!



Stephen (further down) studying the new landscape.



Kippy, Holly and Kim (the three women) in deep discussion.



Meagen (in turquoise scarf) working the dream in.



Lily (in white fur) guarding the gates.





Zen practice brothers, Bob and Shahreyar, communing with nature.







B & B just being.

Come out this Saturday

Other than preparing for this Saturday's event, Weaving Our Dreams into Eden Reframed, we have been just WAITING....WAITING....WAITING for our fallen cedar logs to be milled at the Forest Stewards. Hopefully the wood will be ready by early July. We need to get the gates built, along with the signage, the benches and the story hive. We have lots of work in front of us. Otherwise, I have started work on another body of work that will be my last show as part of my collective, VALISE (Vashon Artists Linked in Social Engagement). I am curating a show of images that will come from my community on Facebook called Reconstructive Visions of the Future and I am resurrecting or reinvigorating a body of work about nuclear issues. It is a bit challenging to steward all these projects at once, but, hey, I have to squeeze every bit of juice out of these last months of sabbatical.

Weaving Dreams into Eden Reframed

Planting Seeds, Processing Sadness

In the midst of all the flurry of building our garden beds, I've been processing lots of news, both local and global. It's impossible not to take in what Fukushima means, what violent weather patterns are and what fish washing up on stinking beaches signifies. We mostly choose not to look at or sit with this information since we are needing to get the wash done, or the bills paid, care for our children or commune with our friends. My nephew who just came in for a visit describes the weblinks that he sends on to friends and family as "bummer juice." I think that's a good a name as any. I've begun making work or, I should say, I am returning to the themes of nuclear nightmares, with a more defined focus. After many years of developing and exhibiting work about nightmares about nuclear war (from 1977 until 1991) and then beginning work on NUKED NOTES: Journey of a Free Radical (a series about the causes and cures of thyroid cancer), I am now revisiting this topic to explore a series about radioactive fall-out, nuclear meltdowns, misinformation, disinformation and endless distractions for an exhibit in September. It's work that needs to happen while I continue to plant seeds for EDEN REFRAMED. We are designing the gates and story hives now. And seeds are going to be planted tomorrow and later this week. It's a healing thing to do, when my heart is full of grief for the world, for the children...may those who remain asleep become activists (in whatever short time they have) for the great, great, great grandchildren. It is all we have now, other than momentary joys, such as planting and harvesting.

Phase #3 almost complete

What you see in these photos is a time lapse, going backwards about a week. So the top photo is where we are now - the deer fence skeleton is up, without enhancement through community stories, and without the gates. Thankfully and amazingly every day we've worked outside, the weather has cooperated. Today it's drizzling and Shahreyar and I are working alone in our studios, designing the gates. Shahreyar will do some research by walking through our two local hardware stores, and I've done some research online. We'll come together in the next few days and make some decisions. So far our collaboration has been a real pleasure. A good marriage, as they say. Notice how he handles an auger!

And speaking of marriages, that guy with the baseball cap, who looks a little like an undercover fed (or so said my dear friend, Amy) is my significant other, who is going to celebrate with me, 22 years of companionship through the ups and downs. This Friday is our anniversary. He is kindly watering the food forest.

BTW the first green thing we planted in our garden was the apple tree, a Pink Lady - you can view that beauty on the left here. Oh so symbolic for Eden Reframed. Now we just need to get some of the healing snake energy happening and we'll be all set.

Here's an overview of our process so far:

Phase #1 - Getting site approval (and the hurdles that involved) and drawing up the final proposal

Phase #2 - Harvesting stories and developing community involvement as part of the exhibition Reframing Eden

Phase #3 - Meeting with Permaculture Design Consultants, finding volunteers, building the brush drains, transplanting and developing garden beds, and creating the skeleton of the deer fence

Phase #4 - Finding more stakeholders through an interactive community activity, speaking with VHS students, enhancing and energizing the deer fence and garden with stories, wishes and artifacts

Phase #5 - Designing and building the two gates, benches and story hive(s)

Phase #6 - Eden Reframed Celebration (hopefully late August)

Building the Bundles of Boughs as Bed Barriers

These first shots are of Deston and Shahreyar mixing the topsoil with the sandy fill above the brush drains.









Here are some shots of the cypress boughs that we hauled and bundled into bed barriers.
I'll have some better shots of the boughs in place tomorrow.