Well, I don’t know where my week disappeared to!!!
Although a lot has been happening, my brain has been a bit fuzzy about what to prioritise this week. With a bit of encouragement from the lubly hubby Marty, I decided I needed to break things down into chunks… Quite the feat for all the idea bubbles around ancestral plant dyes, family history, built environment, housing construction, migration in the 19th century, Vikings, symbolism, Runes, weaving, the Wyrd and the list goes on.
When I reflect back on the week somethings have shifted slightly. When I arrived I was still very much thinking about Mangroves and the creative research project which is unfolding in interesting collaborative possibilities… After wrangling with yet another funding application, the submit button was pressed last night. For now the mangroves can wait…
So Monday got me kick started in the studio with some water colour play – needed to get some of that Mangrove energy out of my system 🙂
Tuesday was a bit of a down day. I must say that nothing really happened except for me getting an upset stomach from a very overpriced and undercooked burger. Most of the time I am eating at the apartment as it is much cheaper that eating out. This mural said it all – might look tough on the outside but a big sooky lala on the inside!!
Wednesday I put my big girl pants on and heading to the Drammenselva to collect some plant material. That was the best thing I could have done. It was so calming and relaxing, the flow over the stony ground was sparkling and reminded me to trust this flow, where ever it may take me… Here is a picture from my favourite spot on the river, where I shared a wee update on Facebook.
Thursday I decided to continue my gathering of plant materials and jumped on the bus for Klokkarstua – where the Hurum Gamle Kirke (Hurum old church) on my ancestors is located. My ambition was to sit under the Elder tree where I sat and contemplated the past, my ancestors and the tree at a witness to the baptisms, marriages, confirmations and funerals of our family before Anton left to come to Australia. This time I was very surprised to see that the bell tower and the roof of the church are being restored, making it impossible for me to sit with this tree.
This did not dissuade me as We all know Trees work in community 🙂 So I headed to another ancient birch tree behind the church and sat for around an hour in the presence of this place which connects me through the weaving of time and DNA. It doesn’t seem so long ago when I presented the Journey of the Ancients work at the Art Centre across the road at an art, science and spirituality evening. And yet so much has changed, both here and for my life journey which this place is now a part of… I will alway treasure the memory of the DNA music flowed through the annals of time and space through the generations to meet back in this place…
Today was about getting some stuff to get going, headed to the Op shop for fabric and pots, bought some vinegar and some string… Bundle time soon 🙂
Tracey M Benson || Bytetime 