Flora to Fauna series in progress

 

 

I have been working on the Flora Forest series with the intention to then move to Fauna of the Forest. The two can be separate or together in my mind as the are symbiotic.

Recently, I saw a beautiful movie called Nature Girl. We were lucky to see a viewing at school with the students and staff. It was filmed on the Sunshine Coast by the filmmaking duo 'Trent Maynard and Candace Campo, ancestral name xets’emits’a (to always be there), who  spent five years documenting the surprising species living in a wetland in the shíshálh Nation swiya (also known today as the Sunshine Coast, BC, Canada). Nature Girl is an intimate introduction to our non-human fellow citizens: the plant and animal beings of the swiya. Using poetry and motion sensor cameras, the film documents intergenerational black bear families scratching at a scratch post, and bathing in a small watering hole, alongside elk, newts, frogs, owls and bats. " (Youtube Forests of the the futrue2024)

Here is a small sample of this amazing movie. 

Here is the link to Trent's website.https://trentmaynard.com/nature-girl-a-film-about-listening-to-the-land-and-making-relations-with-place/ 

 

 

The timing of seeing this movie is cool because it connects to my recent painting of the forest animals many of which are in this film. I will have to keep going on this creative journey and create some elk, frogs, robins, and much more.

I am exploring the dual relationship I have with nature and animals. We are sharing the land animals, plants and trees. I feel so grateful and but then the opposite feeling can occur where  I have nightmares or negative thoughts about the creatures. Just a few weeks ago, I woke up to see the damage the raccoons made on our lawn. I wanted to call them "Lawn destroyers" and then in the next moment I see how beautiful they are and how they are in some way helping us reevaluate our yard. Raccoons symbolize  adaptability, resourcefulness, and intelligence,  teaching us to use available skills to navigate life's challenges. I see how they are teaching us to adapt to the changes of the environment and grubs. We have to be resourceful.

Deer symbolize gentleness, intuition and spirituality. Whenever I see the "Tulip Monster" in the yard eating 

I admire their calm and think about being gentle with myself. 

Slug is the "Veggie Eater' Symbolizing slowing down and being grounded.

Coyote is the "Cat killer" who symbolizes humour, intelligence, and transformation.

                             Bear is the "Plum hog" symbolizing strength, courage, protection- mother, healing and hibernation. I also think of bears as protectors like a mother to her cub; like we as mothers feel for our children. 

I often dream of bears trying to get into the house. I wonder if they dream of me invading their home too. It is that contradiction and conflict and admiration and appreciation all mixed up.