Life Is In The Balance

 Today was my test for proof of concept with the color scheme I think will make this drawing pop.

  I am getting swept into this series of drawings in a wonderful way. I have so many ideas and my mind is humming with images. I do have a rule that I must complete each drawing before I proceed to the next. As impatient as I am, I have managed to hold true to that rule as I move from a completed #1Mullein to #2Primrose.     I collected t his stem of an evening primrose from the Narrows Botanical Gardens Pollinators Garden. It captured my attention and will be featured front and center in this drawing of the same name. As you can see, the real object is very small. I shot a photo and printed it 19"x13" so I could get a much better view of the nuanced details in color and form of this plant that retains its beauty as it returns to the soil. The original is close at hand too. I am interested in responding to what I see as the wisdom and perfection of Mother Nature.  These drawings are intuitive combinations of organisms that live together in a community at NBG. This

  Mullein (Final), 32"x32", mixed media on paper, 2023 A milestone completed and the adventure continues.  I want to further set the stage for this series. In my proposal to the New York State Council on the Arts I indicated I would create a series of 6 drawings celebrating/visualizing the connection of all life. I would find direct inspiration with visits to a park in New York City. I will exhibit the drawings at that park and present a short talk about the work. There are many amazing parks in NYC, but my first choice was Narrows Botanical Gardens in my neighborhood of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Thankfully my friends at Narrows were on board. I have been a volunteer at NBG for over three years. Each drawing is imagery documenting a micro-ecosystem at the park. Mullein above was inspired by the first day I got to the park after I learned that my proposal had been accepted. This mullein is right by the gate where I enter the Vegetable/Flower Garden. It flagged my down and said...L

A few days before Thanksgiving I received an email informing me that the New York State Council on the Arts was going to fund my proposal to create a series of drawings visualizing the connection of all life through the lens of geometry. I was thrilled. I am profoundly grateful for the funding and the recognition of my work. Life's in the Balance, the project title is a continuation of a creative investigation I started many decades ago and have brought forward through the years. I will be documenting my process and progress in this blog on and my Instagram account, @kristinharrisdesign. Join me.  Life is in the balance. Simply be aware of the oneness of things. (Lao Tzu)