Palimpsest

“ a manuscript or piece of writing material on which later writing has been superimposed on effaced earlier writing”.

Origin Greek

Palin Psẽtos

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again rubbed smooth

Last weekend I was part of Craig’s www.drawingplantstogether.com workshop. I brought along my pots and materials and we gathered plants such as coreopsis flowers, olive and rosemary leaves from the garden at NECCHi East Coburg Neighbourhood House who generously supported the weekend.

We did activities at the house and down beside Merri Creek. It took me back to childhood and school and to the few memorable classes that were held oudoors. I felt held in a prism of light…of slowness and observation, of connection with the participants and the birds and the creek . It felt luminous and en..lightening.

About 30 years ago I had a desire to create something that I called Nature Space. It was a seed that I didn’t really know what it looked like or how it would turn out. This seed has been stored safely under layers of adult life, children, gardening, false starts and self led learning.

That seed was scarified 6 years ago with Covid, serious illness in the family, seismic rifts, deaths and redundancy.

What kept me going and the dream seed viable has been nature, creativity, hugs and conversations with family and friends, books, podcasts and gardening.

A year or so ago I came across the word palimpsest. It has drifted in and out of my consciousness ever since. It reappeared the morning of the day I went to meet up with fellow artists to plan what we were going to do as part of the Nature Hearted weekend. Sheena Mathieson mentioned her workshop was about making a book with all the material we had gathered and crafted . She said it was called Palimpsest - I nearly fell off the garden bench! Surely there must be some connection?

Today I went for a walk in the forest with my two dogs . As I walked I remembered the seed of Nature Space I had stored for decades. In this time of collective uncertainty and digital overwhelm perhaps I could help create space for myself and others to relax, observe, recallibrate, remember and connect?

“Qu’ est-ce que le cerveau humain, sinon un palimpseste immense et naturel” or for those like me that sadly don’t speak French “ what is the human brain, if not an immense and natural palimpsest?”

Charles Baudelaire

So I am planning more workshops which will be as accessible as possible. Some at my home in Macedon, the forest beside us and hopefully at venues like the wonderful Neighbourhood Houses in the Macedon Ranges and Melbourne. I would love to collaborate with others so do please get in touch if you have any ideas such as poetry, drawing, photography, floristry, propagating, music etc. I will still continue my dye practice and keep making socks and scarves transformed by the natural colours I love so much!

Last weekend revealed to me what had lain dormant for so long. Maybe I needed all those layers of life to help shape Nature Space into a fuller more expanded version? It doesn’t feel too late and could it be that it is in fact just the right time?

Cyanotype printing