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Archive for the ‘Green’ Category

Styro Microbird and Studio

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , , , on July 10, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Micro Styro-bird, 7/09

The hard hot days of summer are just around the corner, but for now the living is easy.  This time last year the water level at the Falls was low enough that you could safely wade across the river to explore the Kentucky fossil beds.  For now, I will have to be patient and wait for the river to drop some more.  Sometimes when I visit the park I don’t have the luxury of being on site all day.  On those days when I know I only have a couple of hours to make something, I get down to serious play and challenge myself to work quickly.  That’s what happened on this day.  I made this tiny bird from found materials and photographed it near my outdoor studio under the willow trees.  I don’t carve or alter the Styrofoam pieces to any great degree.  I still feel like the shapes the river gives me are important as is.  I certainly could alter these forms more, but this is a collaboration between the river and me and I don’t want to impose my will on these materials any more than I have to.  I accept the abstraction and openness.  The results are perhaps hit and miss, but when it works if feels natural and full of spirit.

Studio site, 7/09

Here’s another view of my temporary studio with materials.  I have lots of found and river-polished Styrofoam on hand as well as curving, gesture-filled sticks to use for limbs.  A couple of recent figures watch over things for me.  Each time I return here I wonder what I will find?  Will it be as I left it or will it be disturbed?

some one else's sand drawing, 7/09

I found this sand drawing made by a park visitor near my studio spot.  For me, this works as a definition of what a drawing is… that is a mark made upon a surface with some intention behind it.  It doesn’t get more basic than this as an example of eye, hand, brain coordination.

Horse nettle flowering, 7/09

Came across this patch of Horse nettles and thought the flowers were beautiful and delicate.  The thorns are a warning that this plant can hurt you and in more ways than one.  Later, the pollinated flowers will become yellow berries that are very poisonous.

Viceroy butterfly, 7/09

Saw the first Viceroy butterfly of the season.  I associate this butterfly with the Falls more than any other.  Although it looks like a Monarch, the horizontal line crossing over the vertical ones on the hind wings give it away.

Styro Microbird, 7/09

This is how I left the Microbird with its legs held fast in the cracks of this shattered tree limb.  The weekend is coming and I’m looking forward to my next adventure on the river.

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Wet and Dry, Spring and Summer

Posted in Absurd, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, unusual collection, watershed, tagged , , , , , on July 9, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Looking through some recent images from the Falls of the Ohio, I came across three objects (other than my sculptures) that I had photographed twice before, but in contrasting situations.  I’m curious to see how they look paired together and what they may “say” about process and the passing of time.

floating tire and sticks, 6/09

dry tire with sticks, 7/09

twin metal tanks, 6/09

dry twin tanks in sand, 7/09

plug from bottom of river, 5/09

river plug, 7/09

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Mutant Toy and Friends

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, collections, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, unusual collection, watershed, tagged , , , , , , , on July 6, 2009| Leave a Comment »

mutant toy, 7/09

I tried something different the other day at the Falls.  I found the headless body of a plastic toy sheep and decided to improvise a new head for it.  The results are not much different from some of the imagery coming out of Japan.  I found a collapsing, materially fatigued yellow rubber ball and added a few acorns, polystyrene ears, and other bits of plastic and then photographed it in the riverine landscape.  My kids think it’s cute!  Here is another image of it showing the other side.

mutant toy, 7/09

I’m always finding different toys.  Some of which you can see in my Pages collections.  I recently came across two other plastic animals and here are their portraits as the river gave them to me.  I think they work with the mutant bunny as a kind of genre since they depend on non-naturalism for their effectiveness.

plastic pony, 6/09

I like that it is difficult to judge scale from these images.  They could be very large or very small.  That ambiguity has been a part of my project from the beginning.  With my other Styrofoam pieces you need to look at what else is in the picture to find clues to judge scale.  To my mind, they are all the size of life.  It’s interesting to see how the internet treats these images since that can be variable as well.  The objects get tumbled by the river, while a similar thing occurs with the images electronically.  Here is a recent plastic pony I found and a blue-eyed pink elephant too!

pink elephant toy, 5/09

Okay, you talked me into it…here is a bonus image!  This was taken during my last outing.  If the Pink Panther were one of those bog bodies found in the peat moss of northern Europe…it might look like this.  I think this was originally a large, plush toy, but the stuffing is gone now.

pink panther?, 7/09

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Mayflies in July

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, unusual collection, watershed on July 5, 2009| 2 Comments »

Mayflies, 7/09

The mayflies emerged a couple nights ago and were thick on the sides of some of the homes that lie outside the park’s entrance.  They are a welcome presence even if they disturb people who think of them only as insects to be reviled and squashed on sight.  The very fact they are here is a good sign since they prefer to live and breed around clean water.  Naturally, the fish love them and may in part account for why the fishing has been so good.  The mayflies’ life cycle lasts about a year, with the majority of that spent as larvae in the water.  They emerge en mass as adults that live to breed, lay eggs, and are gone in a couple days…hence, Order Ephemerata.

Figure with Black Tube, 7/09

Rain is in the forecast for the next couple of days and so I got up early to try to beat the drizzle.  About fifty or so fisherman are already on the scene and I have seen some nice stringers of catfish.  I found two pieces of Styrofoam and constructed this figure from driftwood sticks, nuts, and plastic.  The black tire is too small for a real bicycle and must have been part of some other toy.  The river has been receding for the last week and lines of driftwood form the high water marks.  Between the wood and the river are large, open mudflats and I photographed this figure in this area.

Figure floating away, 7/09

While I was talking with a father and his three young sons, the figure I had stuck in the mud fell over and started floating away!  At first I thought, so much for that one and snapped a couple images as it drifted downriver.  The current, however, pushed this piece back to shore and I was able to retrieve it.  Ideally, I would like to create one signature image that distills for me what that day at the river was all about.  Sometimes that happens, but very rarely.  Usually, I have several pictures that are interesting to me.  Here are a couple more of this figure after it tested its flotation device.

Figure in mud crack pattern, 7/09

Figure in a barrel, 7/09

I have always been interested in the patterns formed by this river mud drying.  And, the plastic barrel stuck in the clay was too good a prop not to try at least a couple images.  It was beginning to spit rain and so I returned to my studio under the willows and gathered my things for home.  Among the days images, is this one of a large iron chain I came across.  Far too heavy to pick up, each link was solid metal about eight inches long.  How does something like this show up at the Falls?  Shouldn’t this chain just sink to the bottom to be discovered at the end of time?  Even if this dropped down from the railroad bridge nearby… is it possible that the river is strong enough to wash this ashore?  The river isn’t telling.large, heavy, chain, 7/09

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A Fishing Fourth

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , , , , , , on July 4, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Fishing on the fossil rocks, 7/09

All along the Indiana bank at the Falls of the Ohio, fisherman were having success.  The water level had dropped and is approaching its summer pool.  Soon it will be possible to cross over and explore the world on the Kentucky side.  I can hear the high pitch sounds of the Eastern Kingbird and marvel at how fearless they are as they dive-bomb the vultures trying to catch thermals on their way up.  There’s plenty of food for scavengers, because the fishermen are wasteful.  When they leave there’s a feast waiting for them.

Stringer of fish, 7/09

This was the most impressive stringer of fish I saw today…but I wouldn’t want to eat any of them.  It’s advised that you avoid making a meal of the larger, older bottom dwelling fish in the river.  Although things are supposed to be getting better…there’s still toxins and metals that are present in their tissues.  The species on this stringer include:  a flathead catfish, freshwater drum, carp, and what I think are highfin carpsuckers on the left.  Methods being used include both natural baits (cut-up shad and chicken liver) as well as casting with artificial lures (florescent jigs).  I walked the bank picking up the odd item I could use and went and found my studio. 

native man, 7/09

native man, detail, 7/09

This is the figure that walked out of today’s  junk found on the riverbank.  The starting point was a broken hairbrush I pinned onto the head.  A butternut split in half forms the mouth and a plastic cap from an ink pen is the nose.  I created a cloak from a piece of flexible foam packing material I found nearby.  I associate this figure with the indigenous people that once  fished here for thousands of years…and could safely eat the fish!  Finding the sticks to give the arms and legs gesture took up most of the time in making this piece.  Even when you are standing on mountains of driftwood finding the right expressive stick can drive you crazy.  I also photographed plastic containers and other junk stranded by the retreating waters.  As someone reminded me recently, the native people lived here forever in a virtual paradise and in a little more than two hundred years we have trashed the place up pretty good.  Here’s an image that’s proof of that.  The drum is obvious, but the black sand you see is actually coal dust.

blue plastic drum, 7/09

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“Black Jack”, Styro-sculpture

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, birding, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , , , on July 2, 2009| 2 Comments »

Louisville cityscape from the Falls, 6/08

Since I was feeling a little nostalgic about lost trees, I checked into my archive and pulled up these images from late June of last year.  In the above photo, the tree in the right foreground fell during the last few months.  This view with a glimpse of the skyline of Louisville on the opposite shore was made from the park’s western boundry.

Black Jack, 6/08

I called this figure “Black Jack” when I made it.  It didn’t last long in this configuration.  Although this section of the park is more remote…”Black Jack” was found and assaulted by someone who needed to break something.  I wonder sometimes if there might be a balance between the amount of energy it takes to create and the effort required to destroy?  It would be some type of karmic equation.  Yes, this wasn’t the best piece I ever made, but it did have some points of interest.  I believe this was the only time I ever came across black polystyrene and in this case I believe it was once part of a car’s bumper.  I also found the little stearing wheel and the broken baseball batter’s helmet along the same stretch of beach.  Tires can be found everywhere and in this piece, made a nice base.  The head is a battered Styrofoam form for styling wigs.

Black Jack in situ, 6/08

I left this sculpture parked by this wonderful cottonwood tree that has incredible roots.  Over the years, the elements have eroded the bank exposing the roots without killing the tree.  In this case, you can literally sit under the tree in this unique space and stay dry during the heaviest rainstorm.  From the fire pits around this area it is obviously a favorite place for campers, fishermen, and lovers.  The candy cane hanging on the tree is something else I found that day.  It is a hand-painted Christmas decoration on wood and I added it to my growing collection of river junk I hauled home.  This styro-sculpture had a buoy-like quality to it that appealed to me and nicely marked the day. 

Herons at the Falls, 6/08

Across from where I sited my sculpture is an area of exposed fossil rock that touches the water.  It is a favorite place for herons to do their fishing and a nice image taken the same day to end this post.

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My Hand Grenade of a Heart

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , , , , , , on June 28, 2009| 2 Comments »

Mr. Hand Grenade Heart, 6/09

Yes, I proudly admit that I’m a tree hugger.  And, the harder it is to wrap my arms around a tree the better I like it.  I realize change is a constant, but somethings are moving so rapidly that this hand grenade of a heart of mine …sometimes feels like exploding.

Falls landscape, 6/09

You may not remember the chestnut trees, but I do. Once they were the dominant tree of the eastern forests.  They had really wonderful leaves and their nuts provided food for all kinds of animals.  Now they are all gone.   Today’s trees at the Falls of the Ohio are a little removed from what was first recorded here.  Now, we feel somewhat secure in the knowledge that what we have is what we have.  It’s always going to be there for us…but big changes are walking the land.

Mr. Hand Grenade Heart, 6/09

I’m out here by the river all the time.  It’s around the edges, the interstitial zones, where changes can be seen most noticeably.  The weather and climate of the last two years have been especially hard on our trees.  Paradoxically, we have had spells where we had too much rain at one time, and then not enough.  Those gentle rain showers also seem to becoming a thing of the past.  Today’s storms are more fierce with energy.

Mr. H.G.H., 6/09

Last year’s wind storm from Hurricane Ike was an eye-opener!  With gusts clocked at over 70 plus miles per hour, the wind clothes-lined our trees.  Some snapped in half at mid-trunk.  Others fell over exposing their root masses when their leaves and canopies provided too much resistance.  The ice storm that followed in winter didn’t help matters any.  Already it’s considered the worst natural disaster to hit Kentucky in modern times.

Head of Mr. Hand Grenade Heart, 6/09

Why are we in such a big hurry to go nowhere?  Is it we just can’t help ourselves?  Already we are introducing exotic pests and diseases that are destroying our indigenous heritage.  Ever heard of “bacterial leaf scorch” or the Emerald Ash Borer?  Succession will occur sooner than later because our trees are already in a weakened condition.  Every time the water gets high, the Ohio River deposits its washed away trees here.

Mr. H.G.H. and roots, 6/09

At the Falls…I can see the maple trees waiting in the wings along with trees introduced from other countries.  I don’t know what we can do about all that’s already put into play.  Perhaps we can try living more simply and do our part to reduce the causes of climate change?  When we travel, be vigilant about unseen invasive pest hitchhikers.  For now, I’m going to say goodbye to an old friend.  I’ve enjoyed the shade of this cottonwood tree for many years.  Treasure the big trees and keep them growing!

wood wreath with trumpet vine, 6/09

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River Turtles

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, collections, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, unusual collection, watershed, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 27, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Red-eared Turtle, 6/08

This is a very lucky Red-eared Turtle.  I first came across this old guy more than a week before this picture was taken.  Far from the river I found it stranded among the driftwood.  I thought that was unusual at the time, but dismissed it by saying to myself that the turtle got there without my help and could get away whenever it wanted to.  I turned and left it alone.

Red-eared Turtle, dorsal view, 6/08

Red-eared Turtle, ventral view, 6/08

When I returned to the site much later, I saw the turtle was still there.  It was then I realized that the last bit of flooding had in fact stranded it.  Looking to be in good shape, I picked it up and made these photos.

Russel Athletic Turtle, 6/08

Every now and then I come across some truly one of a kind turtles.  This is the Russell Athletic Turtle.  It’s carapace (the name of the top shell) in this case mimics the padding found in protective pads of football gear.  It’s usually found nearer the trees than the water, although it’s reputed to be a good swimmer when pressed.Russell Athletic Turtle, 6/08

 

The Russell Athletic Turtle is fond of grazing on the newest tufts of river grass found at the Falls.  It’s geographically limited and so is considered a threatened species worth conserving.

Black Softshell Turtle, 6/08

Black Softshell Turtle, 6/08

No where else on the planet can you find the spectacular Black Softshell Turtle, except for this park.  The above images are groundbreaking because this exceedingly rare turtle hasn’t been recorded in many years.  These are also in all probability the only known color images.  At the Interpretive Center a few, old grainy images of this softshell turtle are preserved in the library and the museum boasts a partial skeleton in its collection.

Black Softshell Turtle, 6/08

Like other members of the genus Trionyx, the Black Softshell Turtle lays it’s eggs in a sandy nest excavated by the female in a suitable riverbank.  I watched this specimen for several minutes before it returned to the river and hoped that I wasn’t watching the last of its kind slipping beneath the waters.  At least these images will help keep its memory alive. 

Wondering what happened with the Red-eared Turtle I started this post with?  I carefully picked up the turtle by the edges of its shell, being sure not to get my fingers in harm’s way, and placed it at the river’s edge.  At first, the water washed over the top of his shell and the turtle’s head and legs remained tight within.  Slowly, the water revived this turtle and I watched it disappear into the Ohio River.

Red-eared Turtle, 6/08

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Balls of the Ohio Images

Posted in Absurd, art and environment, collections, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, unusual collection, watershed, tagged , , , , , , , , , on June 26, 2009| Leave a Comment »

plastic ball, 6/09

Another collection of images has been added to my Pages section.  Check out some of the balls I have come across at the Falls of the Ohio.  This is another in a series of unusual collections of images and objects courtesy of man and the Ohio River.

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In the King’s Rain

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , , , , on June 24, 2009| 2 Comments »

Falls facing west, 6/09

On Father’s Day I got up early and headed to the river.  I had a three hour window of opportunity before the family gatherings began.  Those close to me know how special these excursions to the river are for me.  It’s part of my mental health maintenance ritual.  I need to come out here, see what I can see and make an object/image from what I find.  Here’s this day’s post.

King's head in studio, 6/09

This is where I sit surrounded by the materials I use to make my particular form of art.  Whatever that is happens to be open for debate.  Where exactly does the art occur?  Is it in the process of walking the river and selecting materials?  Is it in the sculptural models I make from them?  Is it located in the images I photograph of those models in their unique site specific contexts?  Could it be in some of the great conversations I’ve had with people intrigued by what I do?  Is it in trying to build awareness of our inherent creativity and connection to the planet?  Does it reside in the activity that is this blog?  Maybe someone out there can help me out?

Falls looking south, 6/09

I’m not deterred by weather…unless lightening is involved.  I’m out here when it’s 100 degrees or below zero.  Today it rained off and on.  Where I sit under the willow trees you can mostly stay dry.  The activity of making something causes me to forget my physical discomfort.  The Ohio River has been a little higher than usual because of all the rain that fell east of here.  The little bit of wind was generating waves that forced the driftwood to tumble over the debris and collect along that day’s shoreline.

King's Rain, 6/09

I imagined this figure as being some kind of “king”.  I think that comes from his head gear.  You can’t really see this, but there is a plastic rose under the “crown”.  His nose is a burnt out Christmas lightbulb.  The ears are some rubber object I broke in half.  The mouth is a plastic bottle cap.  His eyes are waterlogged nuts.  I liked posing this figure near the water’s edge…just out of reach of the waves.  The green ring could be his symbol of office.  I later lost the ring, but found a green wiffle ball that took its place.

Facing east, 6/09

This shot gives a good view of the willow habitat as you look east.  I didn’t see this until I got home, but the tree lying in the foreground connects with the bridges beyond it.  Very few people came out today.  I did see the mink again which delighted me.  I hope it hangs out for awhile and calls this place its home.  It’s a little bit of unexpected, but welcomed wildness.  Last shot is of the “King” set up in a different location.  The smudge to the right is rain water on the camera’s lens I didn’t notice at the time.  I left the figure standing at the Falls and went home.

The King's game, 6/09

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