Sense of Place

This past month we drove over 5,700 miles through 6 states. As we traveled along I collected surface soils (earth pigments).  The wide open spaces of Montana, Wyoming, the Dakotas and Idaho have a few things in their favor - dirt, rocks, color and sky. I am not sure what will come of all this collecting, recording and experimenting.  I can't help but think these little jars represent "a place" when I read the label I affixed to the jars. Images of those colorful hills come to mind. Here at home in the Northwest, where everything is covered up by plentiful vegetation, the contrast between this place and the places those little jars represent is great. The contrast between 'here' and 'there' is as equally great when it comes to the people, foods, politics and religion.  In fact, I am having a difficult time recalibrating my inner "sense of place" and sense of peace too. I worry for the future of the land.

 

I have crushed and sorted the material using a mortar and pestle (found at Home Goods)

and sieves from the Asian grocery store - H-Mart.

Yet again more kitchen tools used inappropriately? 

 

 

 

 

 I am attempting to experiment with various binders - egg, glue, walnut oil and

Gum Arabic (assuming I can somehow get the lid off!)

Will there be vast differences in effect? Adhesion?

How will this 'paint' be used?

 

 The pigments below were purchased from the Sioux Trading post in Rapid City, S.D. 

They were hand dug from the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana.  

 

What will come of all these natural colors?

 

 

I did find it hard to journal as the truck bounced along over the back roads

but at least I have clues about our adventure.

(well, I also have 2490 photos, but some taken at 70 miles per hour. I like to test the limits of my IA).

Now we are home with the plumbing acting up, skies grey and the rain pelting down, it is getting harder and harder to remember the 'light'.