Description Subject Love, Nature Category Mixed Media Mediums, Materials & Styles Mediums Acrylic, Found Objects, Glitter, Plastic gemstones, Markers, Gel Media Materials Acrylic, Found Objects, Glue, Plastic, Wood, Craft stones Styles Abstract, Expressionism, Conceptual, Contemporary, Folk, Outsider-Art Keywords Flowing, Stream, Pebbles, Soothing, Forest, Brook, Consciousness, Nature, Remembrance, Love, Cherish, Child, Mother, Son, Death, Passing, Life, Bond, Green, White, Black. Description This work was inspired by all the nature programs I watched with my mother during the 6- years she was in assisted living. By the time she was 95 years old it seemed sometimes the only things she enjoyed were coffee yogurt, coffee icecream, her Opera Recordings of Renee Fleming and Nature Documentaries. Mom found these films so fascinating we’d watch the same one over and over again, sometimes more than once the same day. Seeing these beautiful programs on television with my mother allowed me to experience them to a degree through her eyes. She was less attuned to the details of this or that endangered species or habitat and more enraptured by the majesty and sheer beauty and genius of nature. The glow of moss on a hillside, or the glittering dew drops on spring leaves enraptured her. So did the cascading waters of brook, stream and river. My hope is for viewers to find some of the peace and intense emotional pleasure she did in the harmony and hypnotizing patterns of nature. I chose to convert a box I found that used to hold cassettes for this project. Once I ripped out all of the dividers and shelving that held the tapes, there was a love well proportioned rectangular space to work with.The box was solid wood and had the right balance of being open, yet enclosed by its four-inch depth. Listening to a recording of the Barber of Seville that had belonged to mom, I set about painting layers of black on and in the box. Uncharacteristically, I chose a glossy finish. Then I covered the whole interior with more than an inch of craft glue. I poured it in like cake batter. I started to toss handfuls of white acrylic stones into the space as I visualized the sparkling rivers and ferns we had enjoyed together. Then black stones. Then quartzite crystals. I lazil emptied copious streams of glitter in greens and other hues onto the surface. After a few hours I moved the collection of gooey objexts in the box around. I was going for a random, yet determined flow to the arrangement. Then I let it dry. A couple weeks later, I returned and added more objects. More glue. More drying. Then, without hesitation or planning, started to wrench some of the dried stones and crystals put of the diorama. I made space so it did not feel over crowded and forced. Then, I used my fingers to push things around a bit. More glue, more glitter. More time. After a few months the box seemed happy. Fulfilled. Mom would have enjoyed it.

Artwork Size & Ink Base:

61x45

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Daniel Aaron Schwartz

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