The Seeds You Plant

 
Dimensions Box 8⅞ x 6½ x 2¾ inches Individual accordion books 2¼ x 2¼ x ⅜ inches (each extends to 8⅝ inches when open) Materials Mixed Media Found wooden box + Various papers: Heavyweight Rives/ Marbled paper/ Washi papers/Hand- decorated papers/Fabriano Tiziano/Vellum + Raw silk + Dyed silk ribbon/Satin ribbon + Crystal & other beads/Pearls
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As I work in the studio I often glance at a favorite quote by R. L. Stevenson: “Don’t judge each day by the harvest that you reap, but by the seeds you plant.” It reminds me that the results of each day’s work aren’t always immediately apparent, helping me to stay focused on the process. Taking the form of a sestina, The Seeds You Plant explores the importance of trusting ourselves, and not letting others judge our creative process. * * * The box’s lid slides open to reveal six silk-lined compartments. Using a ribbon loop, each accordion book can be lifted out, with the poem unfolding one stanza at a time. Each book alludes to a stage of the growth cycle: seed, roots, stem, leaves, flower, fruit. Book covers are decorated with a variety of papers, including washi, marbled and hand-stamped with stamps carved by the artist. Pages are creamy heavyweight Rives printed with archival inks. On the back are 19C black & white botanical illustrations on hand-colored watercolor & gouache backgrounds by the artist. A vellum envelope contains a card printed with the sestina’s envol, as well as six iridescent bronze paper seeds. On the bottom of the box is a colophon. It includes the artist’s statement and gives some background on the structure of the sestina (illustrating how, as the envol, Stevenson’s quote determined the shape of the poem).

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