artist statement for thirteen poems

i make collections of poems + images so i can share with others my love of places that i have experienced. i gather information, through my senses, and write as a method to reveal the nuances that may, or may not be noticed, without a poem to point the way. each collection is a document of place, and it is written to convey the way that place expresses itself at a particular moment within a season. using the descriptives of lunar placement, constellations, effects of light, tides, birds, mammals and occasionally human behaviour, the poems try and give a visceral experience, while simultaneously sharing a life philosophy of respect and appreciation for all the manifestations of the natural world. the photos are companions to the poems, but do not usually illustrate the poems directly. they are there to help create atmosphere, and visual reference, for those who are not familiar with the bioregions contained in the poems.

almost all of the poems + images are created outside: in forests, along beaches, on mountaintops, and within gardens. the work is intrinsically environmental, for without these vital locations and habitats, this work would not exist in this form. to maintain the work, i dedicate hours to being outside, and interrelating with life; clouds, birds, fungi, trees, seeds, and blossoms. even the work that has been composed in urban locations includes these natural references. one of the reasons for this, is to gently minimize humans in the equation of the work. they are secondary aspects, often there to further reveal the depth and expression of the natural world.

up until now, thirteen poems has been a self-directed project. i have worked within varied timelines to create collections of poems + images related to the experience of place. even though the work is based in a response to nature, i familiarize myself with the history, culture and arts, of the locations where i create, as nuances of this knowledge sometimes finds expression in the work.

the processes of writing and photography bring me into a more sensitive and contemplative relationship with the landscapes where i reside, and where i am a guest. through observation, interest and care, intimacy develops, and poems emerge. these poems are love notes, and celebrations of life.

i hope you find some that you enjoy.