The Ones

Each pinecone, flower and twig are carefully collected from fallen natural materials found on the ground. I do not pick living plants. Each piece is honourably harvested with a prayer of gratitude and an exchange of some tobacco, dried herbs or a hair off my head if I have nothing else to offer. I hold each piece and ask it if it wants to come home with me. Sometimes I get an impression of no and I always honour that. Many times I get a yes impression and sometimes pieces excitedly volunteer and jump out to be seen drawing my attention almost saying, “pick me, pick me, I’ll be a One”.

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There is so much joy and playful exchange and connection in my process. I experience a powerful connection to nature. The closer I look and the more I appreciate the beauty of what I am seeing, the more aware I become of this spirit within everything. The Ones come to be and they feel like they are aware and conscious in their own creation. I believe it’s Mother Nature, Mother Gaia, Mother Earth. Creating The Ones is a spiritual and heart connection for me. My brain is in awe of the patterns, the beauty, the microcosmic world of intricate symmetries, shapes and design. The divine mathematical patterns of nature reveal themselves and I feel as though I am listening to the language of life itself. 

It’s the whole mind body spirit connection and when I’m in alignment with myself as I create these critters I know I am doing my purpose. This book The Gathering of The Ones has two main intentions. 1- Is the message of the story and 2- is the creation of The Ones and the appreciation of nature.

I’m reminded of a quote from Baba Dioum, “In the end we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught”.