Chaos Theory: Murmure

In August of last summer I was asked by the owners of The Rook, a superb American craft restaurant in Ithaca's West End, to put together a show to hang from First Friday Gallery Night of November through January of 2017.  As their aesthetic gravitates toward organic, nature-themed content, I decided to pick up on a series I had begun to explore a few years back: The Chaos Theory.  

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Murmure: Ranula

Pen & ink, acrylic on paper

18" x 24"

Since I first learned about it in grade school, the Chaos Theory has fascinated me through it's application in both macro and micro examinations of complex systems and organic life.  Put simply, the theory posits that "within the apparent randomness of chaotic complex systems, there are underlying patterns, constant feedback loops, repetition, self-similarity, fractals, and self-organization" (Boeing, 2015).  My original series from 2014 examining the Chaos Theory sought to extract and overlay intricate patterns within & throughout animal subjects; the pattern and order was represented through finely detailed pen & ink, juxtaposed atop the seeming chaos of vibrant color and loose acrylics.  Most of the pieces from that collection explored the patterns that appear on a micro level, within the fur, feathers, and anatomy of animal subjects, but one piece zoomed out to extract order from the seemingly ultimate chaos of a starling murmuration.

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Murmure

Acrylic, pen & ink, on paper

9" x 12"

Anyone who has witnessed or is at all familiar with the gorgeous spectacle of a starling murmuration will appreciate the overwhelming sensation of ordered chaos that emanates from the thousands of animal bodies moving as one amoebic mass in the sky.  The dark ink blots of individual bodies dip, dive, and writhe together in what should be (and in moments, appears to be) a tumultuous pandemonium; yet somehow the congregation of these tiny beating hearts always rights itself as the starlings perform a contiguous ballet of simultaneous order and chaos.

Thus, for my ornithologically focused show at The Rook, I decided to expand upon my original series examining the Chaos Theory as it manifests on a micro level in bird anatomy & plumage, and in a macro spectacle through murmurations.  I again utilized fine pen & ink (and in the case of the murmuration pieces, large-scale stippling) to represent pattern and fractal organization in juxtaposition with the loose color of organic life. 

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Trochilidae

Pen & ink, acrylic on paper

9" x 12"

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Falco Rusticolus

Pen & ink, acrylic on paper

9" x 12"

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Murmure: Volatis

Pen & ink, acrylic on paper

18" x 24"

Halcyoninae

Pen & ink, acrylic on Paper

11" x 15"

Pluma: Variis

Pen & ink, acrylic on paper

9" x 12"

Check out The Rook!  Delicious food. Smart drinks. Casual atmosphere. Excellent company.

Boeing (2015). "Chaos Theory and the Logistic Map". Retrieved 2015-07-16.

Live Painting

Last summer I was introduced to the wildly creative and inspiring experience of Live Painting.  After seeing some of my art hanging for Gallery Night at Lot 10 downtown and enjoying a brew next to my mural in the Beer Garden of The Westy on State Street, the organizers of the annual benefit festival for Carmen Road Artist Quarters asked me if I would do the honors of painting next to the stage at 2016's culmination of art and music in the Finger Lakes.  Although I had painted public murals over longer periods of time before, which often draw curious onlookers and passersby, I had never had my process be so prominently featured as an attraction before and was intrigued at the prospect.  

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It wasn't the notion of having an audience that was daunting to me as much as the inevitably organic evolution of the piece that was to unfold over a period of six or so hours.  I usually have a clear plan of a finished piece in my mind and will spend days or weeks meticulously working in fine detail until I feel satisfied with my work; this experience was going to be raw, unfiltered, and was to end when the music stopped and the dancing crowds dispersed, having little or nothing to do with my own judgment of my "finished" piece.  Despite the initial anxiety of this new challenge, my anticipation quickly turned to a gleeful excitement at the freedom of such an idea.  When the evening finally arrived I set up my paints, kicked off my shoes, wiggled my toes in the lush green grass, and waited for the music to begin.  

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The crowds gathered, curious about the blank canvas next to the stage and the girl wiggling with excitement beside it.  I was nervous and eager and unsure of how to begin, but as soon as the first deep strum of a bass rang out across the warm summer night, I was suddenly overcome with a certainty of movement and motion, fluid and continuous with my strokes and unfaltering as the crowd was in their own swaying and pulsing to the music.

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I found that my usual focus on detail and precision melted away as the piece unfolded before me.  With every new song - and as the hours passed, every new band - the nature of the painting itself morphed and evolved, taking on a life of it's own; I felt like a vehicle, as much a part of the organic amoeba of a dancing crowd at a concert as I was an attraction.  Never having any real musical talent in my life, I finally understood what musicians meant when they spoke of their live music as an entity that is created collaboratively between artist and audience as one.

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I danced, sang, and painted (some faces as well as my canvas) the night away, and before I knew it the festival goers were drifting off toward a misty summer sunrise.  I set my brush down, stretched out a happy sore arm and a let out a contentedly sleepy yawn, and walked away from the canvas to watch a new day begin; I knew I had discovered a new and entirely unique passion in Live Painting.  I would be lucky enough to do it once more before the summer ended at a Benefit Auction for Ithaca Underground, held in a picturesque Cidery Orchard on the eve of a gorgeous full moon.  Both experiences were wholly fulfilling, not only creatively and spiritually, but were also satisfying in the knowledge that my participation was simultaneously serving other Artists in the pursuit of their own crafts (the proceeds funding the Artist Quarters for Visual Arts at the former, and the Ithaca Underground for musicians at the latter).  As this summer approaches, I am overjoyed to be kicking-off a new season of Live Painting at a Reggae Festival planned for Stewart Park in June to benefit the health of Cayuga Lake, where proceeds will be going to several institutions researching and restoring the water quality of the wetlands.  Community yoga and live music will kick off the festival at 10 am on the 24th, and I will be there dancing and painting my way through the day, hoping to see your smiling faces bobbing beside my canvas once again!

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Live Painting

Dreaming in Color

As I fly along the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake on my 40-minute morning commute, my mind meanders away from the familiar scenery to the quickly retreating flashes from my previous night's dreamscape.  I am an extremely active lucid dreamer, and nearly every single morning I awaken with a buzzing head overflowing with fantastical adventures, screaming colors, and impossible landscapes, all conjured within the deep recesses of my imagination.   It is from this enchanting twilight realm that much of my inspiration and creativity derives, and many of my waking days are spent seeking to communicate the wonders I've witnessed in the endless film reel of my dreams.

It was with much joy and enthusiasm, therefore, that I greeted the task of painting a mural at a favorite neighborhood hangout in downtown Ithaca.  I spent weeks sketching, painting, and prepping ideas for the 10' x 14' blank canvas that was soon to be my own personal playground.

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Inspiration didn't strike during these waking brainstorms, however; it arrived, as usual, in the night.  I awoke one morning from a world bursting at the seams - bursting with color, with pattern, with creatures that grew and flew until they exploded into thousands of smaller versions of themselves.  I lay in a field with everyone I'd ever known, watching a spectacle that seemed to begin as an aurora borealis, but which we knew promised a greater, ultimately enlightening vision of perpetual growth and universal connectivity.  If all of this sounds grandiose and esoteric, please believe me when I say I agree.  And yet, I wouldn't trade these fleeting dreams for any concrete explanation of existence or scientific "theory of everything".  I revel in this dream world of magic and color and purpose (and sometimes, alternately, absurdist meaninglessness).  I am grateful for these visions of the fantastical, the impossible, the intangible, which provide inspiration to constantly create in the hours that I wake.  In this case, I woke with a certainty of how to fill an empty wall, which begged to become unique.

As we lay in the field watching the sky, a stag strode into view from the darkness.  It's silent presence was warm and comforting, and we watched as it's antlers slowly grew into great tree branches, which emanated starlight and created a canopy that cradled the earth.  Suddenly, this image burst like a symphony into millions of butterflies that shimmered and melted onto our skin like snowflakes.  The sensation was of white light that bridged the space between our bodies, the earth, and the sky - of oneness.  I awoke feeling warm and content.  Then I went to Lowe's and spent too much money on five gallons of paint, brushes, rollers - the works. 

That weekend I arose with the sun, bleary eyed and caffeine-fueled, and let myself into the sheltered courtyard beyond the grand gate of The Westy, a bar in downtown Ithaca.  I spent the day in blissful creativity, painting with broad strokes, fearless color, and wild abandon.  Friends meandered in and out, bringing food, coffee, and welcome company when the August sun became too sweltering.  I left each evening covered in color and bewilderingly dehydrated, but with a full heart and a smile that wouldn't quit.

In all it took two weekends to "complete".  I still have detail work I'd like to add, patterns for the butterfly wings and perhaps some intricacies in the sky - but overall I am pleased and grateful.  Grateful that Ithaca embraces and encourages public art and graffiti, grateful for supportive friends that made sure I wore sunscreen and drank water, and grateful for a uniquely stimulating nighttime dream world, which I feel privileged to visit when I close my weary eyes.  Please, friends, dream away!

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Free to be...

The long weekend is over and it's back to the office - but this week I bring with me the warm memories of laughter, of freedom, and of the sun-kissed afternoons that melted into warm summer evenings, spent with the ones I love.  As much as I adore my job, there is something about having four full days stretched out before you, free to be filled however you choose, that is so incredibly liberating. 

Free to have my long, slow, coffee-sipping mornings, followed by an extra long run along my beloved Finger Lakes Trail; to stop and appreciate a hitherto unnoticed glen off the beaten path, and to listen for the birdsongs that are so easily muted into the background hum of everyday life.

Free to finish that run with an impromptu swim at Ithaca Falls and some peaceful stretching and meditation beside the gently running creek; to sit back and watch my community share this beautiful refuge, from children splashing in the shallows, to one or two ambitious waders fishing upstream.

Free to take my time preparing a fresh, nourishing lunch of veggies from this week's CSA; to taste every flavor and relish in the solitude of a quiet mealtime on my front porch, watching the ebb and flow of my lovely neighborhood in Fall Creek.

Free to spend an entire afternoon painting, dreaming, and creating; to finish up the pieces I began in a spare moment a few weeks or (sigh) months back, and to finally begin the ones I've had mulling in the back of my mind for some time now. 

Free to break this much-needed solitude with a potluck at the lake, where my afternoon quietude is pierced with the welcome laughter of the ones I hold dear; with the loving preparation of a communal supper, with the shared appreciation of good friends and good food, with the hushed murmuring that we adopt as the sun sets over Cayuga Lake. 

Free to draw out this perfect evening as long as I like, knowing there is no early morning commute to prepare for, no obligation that will require a full night's sleep and a clear head tomorrow.  Free to revel in the companionship of my friends, in the beauty of this place where I feel so blessed to live, and in the privilege of losing track of time.  Free to Be. Here. Now.

So, as I begin this work week anew, revived and refreshed by a wonderful Independence Day Weekend, I am taking this moment to be grateful for these freedoms.  Grateful that I live in a country that (despite sometimes missing the mark) values the liberty of it's people and their right to pursue their own happiness; grateful that I have a job I love, from which I sometimes need time off; grateful that I have such wonderful friends and family with whom to spend that time.  Grateful to be free.

Farm-to-Table

It feels lately as if current events have little to offer beyond doom and gloom.  From the climate crisis, to dwindling resources, to social injustice, it is easy to feel weighted with the worries of the world.  In the midst of such nay-saying, however, I choose to find hope in the innovative and imaginative movements that characterize my generation.  More young people than ever are abandoning corporate expectations in favor of sustainable grassroots movements with the future of our planet and society in mind.  

I have the great fortune to be roommates with one such forward-thinking individual, Karli Miller-Hornick, who's passion is in supporting the Farm-to-Table Movement through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).  CSA Farm Shares provide fresh, organic, locally-grown produce to communities across the country, and Karli manages the accounts of many farms in the US for the start-up, Farmigo. 

Since moving in with this joyful, vibrant, earth-child innovator, the quality of my food and the love with which it is prepared has dramatically changed my day-to-day life.  Whereas mealtime used to mean providing my body with the fuel it needed for the day, I have now added an entire socio-cultural element to my lifestyle.  My friends and I walk or bike to the Farmer's Market, baskets in hand, to eagerly collect the fresh, juicy vegetables that will fortify our meals all week.  Market chatter with farmers, friends, and local business owners leaves me feeling energized and intimately connected with my community - a sentiment that is so starkly absent from much of modern day society.  I have become conscious not only of the impact that my consumer decisions make on the environment, but also of the benefits that eating locally and organically have on my health and well-being.  I prepare my meals with love, and I consume them with pride.  

Because learning about sustainable agriculture from Karli has made such a drastic difference in my life, I sat down with my sister-friend to ask her what she wishes the rest of the world would learn about CSA's and the Farm-to-Table movement:

Tell me a little bit about what a CSA is and about the Farm-to-Table movement.

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It is a business model that was adopted by farmers in the 1970s to sell direct to consumer. The major benefit is that there is shared risk so that if the farmer loses a crop due to disease or natural disaster, they will not loose their entire farm. The number of CSA's in America has exploded in the past few years. According to the USDA there are currently 12,000 CSA programs throughout the US. 

What are the costs versus benefits of joining a CSA, both for the individual and for society as a whole?

Being a member of a CSA is the best way to support local farms and get fresh food direct from a farmer. By supporting a farmer at the beginning of the season you are committing to a shared risk and as such, a shared benefit. If the farm ends up with a large harvest, you get to share in the bounty! You will often find that if you go to market and buy all of the items that you would get in your box, you will be paying 2x-4x the cost. 

What made you first become interested in the Farm-to-Table movement? Did you study agriculture in school? How did you become involved?

I studied restaurant management and hospitality in school. I was very interested in creating experiences around a dinner table through food. While in college, I followed a company called Outstanding in the Field to a series of farms throughout the north east to throw a collaborative dinner between a local chef and a farm. I instantly felt a strong connection to the power that locally produced food has to bring together a group of unlikely strangers. Upon returning to school, I began to dive into horticulture classes and got certified in Sustainable Farming from the Groundswell program. I quickly realized that I was not cut out to be a farmer, but felt that there was a huge need for marketing and sales help in the farming world. I began working on plans to help farmers utilize technology to allow them to make connections with restaurants and sell more efficiently. After graduation, I found a job post for Farmigo and it was a match made in heaven. I applied and began working for them in February 2012. 

Tell me about Farmigo.  What is the mission statement of the company, how did you become involved, and what is it that you do there?

Farmigo is a small startup with a big mission: To empower people to create a better way to eat, by creating farm-to-neighborhood access to fresh food, benefiting local farmers and bypassing supermarkets. I have worked with Farmigo for 3 years providing support to the farmers that use our software to manage their CSA's. Our software allows farms to manage their entire CSA program online from sign-ups to distribution. I spend all day on the phone and emailing with over 300 farms throughout the country.

Are CSA's only available in rural areas? Can someone living in a big city like Philadelphia or New York gain access to a CSA?

CSA's are absolutely available to people in Philly and New York. In fact, there are probably more options in major cities including meat CSAs, bread CSAs, and fish CSAs. 

What are some considerations someone interested in joining a CSA should take into account? Location, farm size, farm production, age of farm, etc?

Many people say they only eat organic. I've learned that organic does not necessarily mean sustainable. When I am shopping for a CSA, I'm looking for a number of things. First of all, I want a farm that allows me to visit and perhaps even volunteer. A farm that can be this transparent about their farming methods is one I can trust to produce my food. Additionally, I am looking for some flexibility from the farmer. I travel a lot during the summer, so I want to know I can skip a week or two and perhaps have my share donated to a food bank. I also am looking for a farm that does a great job telling me what to do with what is in my box. There is a learning curve to joining a CSA as these small diversified farms sometimes grow unique crops. I am looking for a farm that sends out a weekly newsletter with ideas and suggestions.  

Are CSA members allowed to visit, tour, and/or help at the farms?

Many CSA farms do allow and actually encourage volunteers. I always ask farmers if this is a possibility. Some CSA's even have a U-Pick offering where you can go to the farm when you want and pick more labor intensive crops like berries, peas, and flowers. This is a great opportunity for parents to have a picnic with their kids and really teach them where their food comes from. Some CSA's even offer a worker share where you can trade work for a share. This was how I got my first CSA. For 4 hours every Sunday I would volunteer on a farm and when we were done, we received a box of the FRESHEST veggies ever. There was nothing more satisfying than eating those vegetables. I was hooked and have been a CSA member ever since.

Can you share any future goals you may have up your sleeve to further the Farm-to-Table cause? 

I think farmers really need help telling their story through online media. My hope is to travel the country to tell our farmer's stories.  I wake up every morning with the freedom to chase my dreams and aspirations because I am able to work for a company that is aligned with my personal mission in life. I live in a town where rent and food is affordable and accessible. I know that this is not something that is true for most people and I am appreciative and grateful for what I have in my life every day.

Much love and many thanks to Karli!

Dream Away

I believe in mindfulness, in beauty, in wonder, in awe.  I believe in cultivating a world in which I am overjoyed to live, in curating a lifestyle full of laughter and beauty and presence of mind.  I believe the aesthetics of our environment influence our drive, our productivity, and our state of being, and I consider nesting to be an art form.  I am interested in observing the many facets of being, in capturing and highlighting the many perspectives of existence, and in utilizing my passion for art and design to produce a harmony of existence in all things great and small. 

Most of all, I believe in dreaming - in unleashing the tethers of practicality, of what-if's, and in demolishing the confines through which we structure our existence.  There is no limit to what you can dream, and it is my goal to encourage you to explore outwardly what you so brilliantly produce within the electricity of your own unconscious.  I hope you find some joy, solace, or inspiration in the pages that follow, and I hope that my own pursuit of a vibrant life, overflowing with color and passion and creativity, in some way drives you to seek your own bliss.  So come now, dream with me!