Writing – Page 7 – Joni Beach

July 7, 2011July 13, 2011

Trees, Symbols for Life

Over the years, I have planted many trees…each time we have moved it seems there is always some tree or plant needed in the new yard! Of course this includes fruit trees…

a red maple…

a new cherry tree…

…all are necessary.

In hot, sunny, arid West Texas where we once lived, trees are highly valued for their shade and beauty. Many times homeowners even have them insured. When we eventually moved back to the East I vowed I would never again complain about raking leaves…and I haven’t.

For most people trees improve our lives and are symbolic in some way. While they provide shade, oxygen, color and beauty, a home for birds and other animals, hold our memories, they also signify meanings of permanence. For example, their roots and branches are metaphors about family ties—their stability and the prior generations. Perhaps this symbolism is one reason that after a storm it is a disturbing sight to see huge trees have been destroyed with even large root systems pulled out of the earth and blown over…

In the town of Blacksburg, there was an old, historical tree on the lawn in the center of town. The tree had overseen the town activities on the lawn for 100+ yrs. When it had ended its life cycle and the tree was too weak to leave on the hill overhanging a busy street, VT professors took 100s of cuttings from it and cloned 2 trees from the old one before it was cut down… Read about this story at: http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/trejbal/wb/284350. See story at: http://www2.wsls.com/news/2010/jul/27/blacksburg_virginia_tech_history_ comes_down-ar-359635/ .

Not long ago, there was a story on television about a Survivor Tree planted at Ground Zero in New York City. An eight foot sapling was found amid the rubble of the World Trade Centerand was taken to the Park Departments nursery. They revived and nurtured it until it was replanted in the memorial garden as a sign of life and hope for the future after an unthinkable tragedy on, what is now known as, 9/11. Today this tree has grown to be 35 feet tall and stands as a reminder of resilience to all the people who visit this landmark. This story can be seen at: http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story? section=news/local/new_york&id=7857410

Throughout time artist have also sketched, painted, and even used trees as design inspiration for pottery.

"Branche d'amandier en fleur" by Vincent van Gogh By vG Public domain via Wikipedia

More currently, textile artist Barbara Walter uses tree images in wall hangings. See at http://www.saqa.com/about.php?ID=1842…Also, Micheal Mahan uses tree motifs on his pottery at his studio, From the Ground Up.

So I guess I will continue to plant trees and rake leaves…perhaps that shows I still have a sense of hope and optimism about life!

*I’d love to hear your “tree” stories! * Feel free to leave a comment…

Image Credit: “Branche d’amandier en fleur” by Vincent van Gogh By vG [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Why should new trees be planted when trees are cut down (wiki.answers.com)
thirteen ways of looking at trees (liv2write2day.wordpress.com)

June 14, 2011June 17, 2011

Observing the World…From a Log Bench

Viewing on-line photo tours of other people’s travels provides me with an amazing suitcase-free, passport-free, ticket-free way to see the world. The traveler’s blog usually includes views of local artisans making their sculptures, fabrics, paintings, or other such craft from local materials, such as in the blog bigBang studio—Hindustan textiles, food and painting, or in Blogchucuto–Spanish mosaic tiles. Most feature the use of organic materials + the artist’s ingenuity to make a log into a sculpture, clay into a vase, or fabric into a garment. They give a glimpse of the wide variety and unique design aesthetics and motifs from cultures @ the globe.

I am still surprised by my enjoyment of items made from organic materials found close at hand. For example, my husband made me a meditation bench for along our driveway using a split log. It is not merely a natural piece of art that I appreciate, but after getting the mail I can also stop, sit, and read, pausing to take-in the woods @ me–the ferns in the shade along the stream and the sounds of nature. When walking by in a hurry, I do not always pause, observe, and listen. Walking for many years in the town where we lived, I came to know specific trees, certain flowers and plants in gardens and yards, places different groundhogs had homes, and unique views of the mountains. While riding along in a car, that is not always possible. As you walk, you are more a part of the environment vs. speeding past and through it.

So I guess today I am rambling a bit…but I’d say this article is about how people all over the world use their ingenuity (and creativity) to make works of art by using the natural materials @ them. Plus, while travelling, one can observe and take notice of the worlds @ them to gain inspiration and renewal…

Just like a trip up the driveway for the mail and back…

with a pause on a log bench.

Where do you sit to observe the world?

June 9, 2011June 15, 2011

Be Inventive!

The other day an article in our local newspaper, entitled “3 THINGS you should do today”, caught my eye. Number 2 was “Be inventive”. On May 22^nd, 1906, the Wright brother’s US patent was issued for their invention, the “Flying Machine”.

First_flight2 via Wikipedia Image Citation — First Flight, John T. Daniels via Wikipedia Commons

Reading the article made me think about how the brothers had to dream of flying, imagine what it would take to soar above the ground, and experiment with many different ideas to make it happen…The brothers’ invention of the flying machine is a perfect example of human creativity and the design process necessary to not only imagine but actually succeed in inventing something new.

Bela Banathy (1991), an educator, systems design scientist, and author, writes that we create the future by the process of designing what we can envision…This is a skill each of us are called upon to use everyday in our families, our work—as artists as well as other occupations, and the communities where we live. Our survival and quality of life is hinged upon our ability as individuals, and collectively as a society, to use our imaginations. Imagination leads to new, novel ideas and inventions that meet the challenges we and our children will face in the coming years.

Technology is one field where change is happening rapidly. The world has had to realize the changes this industry brings and envision ways its benefits can be used for the good, negating any negative effects. Living @ a research university with its questioning environment inspires me to think of the possibilities–considering new answers to complex problems. Whether it be… at home… in the studio… or in our communities…