week 9 in my “this is where i am from” year long project:
I’m working on a painting of the little depression era dump next to Ginger’s barn. The sketch below is of one of the treasures you might find in that spot – an accidental terrarium – a jar or bottle or even just a piece of glass that has become a mini greenhouse – a winter home to growing things – foggy and misty and otherworldly inside.
It is a magical thing to come upon on a cold brown winter forest floor. You can see some examples of accidental terrariums here , here and here and if you have found one I’d love to see. I’ve almost finished the charcoal sketch on the board I’m going to paint on. Besides the little terrariums there is lots of marvelous old timey junk, the stone wall that went impossibly on and on and the dancing sumac trees with their strange velvety red bobs, leaves gone for winter.
it’s hard to draw a mish-mash of clutter, isn’t it? I’ve started trying to sketch something every day in my journal – which generally involves something I can see from my bed, as that’s where I tend to write, first thing, every morning! My awareness of the clutter around me is heightened when I look for something to sketch. . . . perhaps this morning I’ll tidy, eh? I like your little terrarium, though, and the spring, ‘sproinging’!
I have an old dump site in the woods behind my house. Love poking around in it on occasion. I posted about my Accidental Terrarium at my website. Here is the link
http://maggiegracecreates.blogspot.com/2012/02/trash-or-treasure.html
It is still growing and quite healthy in an interior windowsill at work.
My son recently found a perfect little accidental terrarium, we’ve moved it inside to enjoy up close for awhile. http://www.duofiberworks.com/journal/2013/3/10/tangents.html
I’m really enjoying this series of yours…