dear willow connection

the willow connection

the willow connection
49,5 x 40 cm
2014
INCI
birch, pine, cotton, succus Heracleum sphondylium, china ink, aquarell, beeswax, carnaubawax

Dear willow connection,

I visited you quite a few time this summer, and found you in great shape.

I once was there with a friend who told me it were as if you’d always been there.

You already are part of the landscape, or call it ponds cape of Nieuwenhoven.

I liked it.

I don’t believe in big intervention in nature, it will, more often than not, ruin a beautiful sight.

And i must say that a lot of the pieces in Nieuwenhoven give an interesting twist on how to look at nature.

The water of the pond is getting clearer, and there is more biodiversity around the pond. Although the real impact will of course be seen after a few years.

When thinking about images about this project about biodiversity, i cannot be pleased by mere botanical drawings of the plants. Although it would be pleasant it is not enough for me.

So i dig deeper and one day i was there with my son.

We had brought paper, canvas, pens, pencils, water-colours and a hammer.

I started picking some herbs and putting them between two pieces of paper and slamming with the hammer. Then i tried out with the cotton.

How interesting this print from the leaf!

Now how to keep on working with this image without ruining it?

and in my thought track about the planet and permaculture the ancient encaustic technique arose!

So yes, i will further work on this image with beeswax, plant extracts from around the pond and heat!

Really exciting!

So this i the resulting painting, only natural ingredients, if you leave it around the pond, it would return to pond.

According to the principles of permaculture.

But i will keep it safe inside.

Thanks for teaching me this, and keep on purifying!