IU - The labyrinth design - How will it be installed?

Once the grid is installed, the next step is to think about how to divide the work so that groups of student and volunteers can install my vision. .

Two options seem viable. The first idea is by marking the (X, Y) coordinates for each circuit of planting on individual pages. The other idea is by verticle rows.

Below I have marked the coordinates of the circuits. As I mark the coordinates I am not sure this is the way. I may need to break it down to smaller sections.

I can continue to consider how to breakdown the jobs as I begin building the grid.

Monotype- leafcutter (petalcutter)

Leafcutter (petal cutter) Megachile and the Blanket flower

Watercolor and pastel monotype

30” X 44”

Leafcutter bee flying to its nest just after cutting a petal from the Texas native Gaillardia pulchella aka blanket flowers. They use the petals to protect walls and to seal their nests. In exchange for the petals, the leaf cutter pollinates the blanket flowers bloom. It is one of my favorite relationships in “Symbiosis.”

Symbiosis - The first anniversary and a feisty or rebellious future.

What would the next twelve months look like?

A two-year-old can be feisty, or would it be more like a rebellious teenager coming into its sexuality?

April of 2021, I started installing the plant material in “Symbiosis.” Seeing, hearing and smelling the transformation has been a gift. This past spring marked the first anniversary. This post celebrates the relationships and natural systems I have documented from the first anniversary through mid-August.

Keep in mind that in the summer of 2020, when I agreed to install a site specific living sculpture, I went every day to observe the space. Sitting and looking — observational research is a big part of my work.

How did it function in the ecosystem? The mowed nonnative zoysia turf grass was neat within its “borders.” The nonnative shrubs and plants were in aligned rows amongst compressed dirt and it was static. As the summer days warmed the bare spaces, the rising heat never created any movement in the garden. It was designed in rows and easy to maintain with gas-powered mowers and edgers. The first soil test revealed that the garden was void of life. The lower food chain of earthworms and grubs was absent. That explained why the birds flew by without landing. There was nothing for them to forage or seek shelter from predators.  It did not soak up much water and sequestered little carbon. Lawndale’s Sculpture Garden was a dysfunctional plot of earth. It was green but not part of the coastal prairie ecosystem.

In a sea of Midtown asphalt and groomed properties in April of 2021, I questioned; would any wildlife find the small space? Failure was possible.

Nature was undeniably resilient in year one. Symbiosis was a living sculpture, a functioning part of the coastal prairie and the New World. The installation was not land art; it was a living ecosystem. It regenerated life.

On Mother’s day after the first big rain, the pond was full of white green treefrog eggs. The relationship between amphibians and clean water and important in building the lower food chain and keeping it in balance. for more details see the post Symbiosis — Green Treefrog Eggs.

Cricotopus rests on the Lawndale Art Centers building. This image is symbolic of a nonprofit art institution’s commitment to it's relationship with the natural world. Hopefully it will inspire others.

Large carpenter bee on a trumpet vine bloom.

Mutation of a rudbeckia hirta. A reminder that being different is beautiful.

the chemical free trough pond provides a habitat for toads to mate and leave their eggs. The tadpoles in return eat algae keeping the water clear and mosquito larvae. #social sculpture.

White-striped longtail enjoying a Rudebeckia hirta bloom.

Anole asserts his dominance on the trunk of a dead olive tree.

Ischnura hastata Citrine forktail on a frogfrut leaf.

Blue dock beetle enjoying the nutrition of a volunteer plant.

Spilosoma Virginia on a Rosinweed sunflower leaf.

Cricotopus Non biting midge on Rosinweed leaf.

Hippodamia convergens convergent lady beetle, on a volunteer plant.

unknown - But interesting

Celithemis fasciata and frogfruit.

Native bee _________ and Rosinseed sunflower.

Repipta taurus , Red bull assassin bug and painted blanket leaf.

Dolba hyloeus pawpaw sphinx and fall bedient plant

the perfect match a native carpenter bee’s body has evolved over the ages to fit the Passiflora incarnata perfectly.

Libellulidae- skimmer and docks. I often find skimmers perched on this past dried docks. They have a strong bond.

Mockingbirds and toads.

Mother Mockingbird feeding juvenile a tiny toad.

Juvenile Mockingbird perched on the manmade fence.

great blue skimmer (is a dragonfly) and the spent thimble flower.

2 Leafcutter bees mating.

2 Leafcutter bees mating and a spent painted blanket bloom.

Atalopedes campestris (called sachem in the United States and Canada) is a small grass skipper butterfly and frog fruit.

Another view

Hemiargus_ceraunus and frogdruit.

Umbrella paper wasp and spent sunflower.

Paper wasp and passion flower. PLANTS CALL WASPS TO THE RESCUE WITH AN AROMA THE INSECTS LOVE. This is a special relationship.

More (green eyed) leaf cutter bees mating again on spent painted blanket bloom.

Male Eastern Carpenter bee- check out those big green eyes and fall obedient plant.

Sphex Digger wasp. On passiflora incarnata

Obscure Bird Grasshopper shaded by the leaves of Turks cap.

Palpada vinetorum is a species of syrphid fly in the family Syrphidae.[1][2][3][4] It is a native flower fly species to North America, mainly found in Texas and parts of the east coast and fall obedient plant.

A pipevine swallowtail or Blue swallowtail laying eggs on a dried leaf of a red salvia. .

Battus philenor, the pipevine swallowtail or blue swallowtail and a morning glory vine.

Gulf fritillery butterfly and a passiflora incarnate

Dolba hyloeus (pawpaw sphinx) is a moth of the family Sphingidae and a fall obedient bloom.

Follow up post coming soon

Female common Whitetail skipper and a dried stem of a Rosin weed sunflower.

Leafcutter native bee and frogfruit.

Spiderweb that and dew . Does the quenching dew lure prey into the spiders web. I see a relationship between the spider and Earth’s closed water system.

Eastern carpenter bee and a rotting tree.

Eastern carpenter bee building a nest in a rotting wood.

Leafcutter bee and blanket flower.

Leafcutter bee with a petal of a blanket flower Gaillardia pulchella. They use the petals to build their nests.

American toad And Earth’s closed water system.

American toad out for a stroll during the rain.

Plushback fly and Salvia azure.

Another species of leadcutter bee cutting a bllanket flowr petal.

Swallowtail butterfly and white veined morning glory.

Swallowtail butterfly depositing an egg on white veined morning glory. Follow up post coming soin.

Jumping spider and fall obedient plant.

Plushback fly and blue salvia

The relationship between rainwater or dew and plants is a crucial part of any ecosystem. In this case the few is is on a stem of crabgrass. If you run your fingers down the stem you will notice the texture that slows water from running off it's surface too fast.

Dew and stems

Carpenter bee and Salvia azure

I have noticed that plant material on the edges of symbiosis stops garbage from blowing from the convenience store. I see this as another way plants are in partnership with our various ocean.

Anole safely camouflaged in the chaotic lines of the vines mixed with a diversity of plant stems.

Juvenile mocking bird on a dead olive tree branch. I saw about six of them hiding in the American beautyberry after the rain. Now that the installation is a year old, it is getting height and layers. This added heights provides the birds with more protection, berries and perches for hunting small prey.

Stink bug on American beauty very.

Carpenter bee getting a back rub wile collecting nectar and pollen on a purple passion flower.

four-banded stink bug hunter wasp

Sphex habenus, Golden-reined Digger Wasp and Rosin weed sunflower.

Sunlight nesting in Rattlesnake master.

?

Subtribe Hesperiina And milkweed.

Subtribe Hesperiina And frogfruit

? Bee on Rattlesnake master

roseate skimmer and fall obedient plant.

Skipper on bloom less salvia stem.

New World Checkered skipper and everybody’s buddy frog fruit.

Sor ies of fly sleeping in butterfly faea Bush.

Symbiosis- the tools of my collaborators

In creating a living sculpture, I have to accept change. I can not control the piece nor do I want to. From soil microbes to leaves, petals and butterflies, bees, skippers and caterpillars, I am always looking to the natural processes. I look to see what does the material want to make, what does it need to be. Competition, succession, disturbance, consumption are the sculpting tools of my collaborator, characteristics of the work. I have to let them follow their path to self-design their regenerating community. I bend my creative processes to the design principles developed through the ages on this planet for this place and time. The time is right to change how we landscape. I believe Houston is the right place and Houstonians the right people to plant the seeds.

Competition

Succession

Disturbance

Consumption

Spontaneity and art - a good thing, we will see

I started my day at 6:30 am, pasting images of work into a word document for a curator/art consultant. A necessary task that I was thrilled to do- however, mind-numbing, to say the least. By 12:30 crossed eyed I took the dogs on a walk. When I came across this. My mind numbing was instantly healed with inspirational thoughts.

Seven immaculately bundled trimmings from a neighbors Crape, Myrtle. Crape murdered or not I- the trees were in the backyard, could not see them.

My trimmings from a site-specific installation @Lawndale Center for the Arts. Symbiosis

The image above is from last week at Lawndale (a post in am tardy with) My trimmings are wild and unruly. I am using them on social media to make a point - to change how we landscape- to landscape with habitat for wildlife in mind.

My neighbor's bundles of limbs are in sharp contrast to mine. They are an example of how controlling urban green spaces have become, the tidiness that is expected In our yards.

I am so tempted——— Such a great opportunity to turn these found object organic materials, perfectly assembled tied up with yellow cords into gorilla art. The colors will look amazing at Lawndale. It is not part of my work on Symbiosis to install anything I want. 🤔 The entire dog walk I was haunted by the bundles and their yellow cords. I am not comfortable installing gorilla art but I am excited with the idea and I know Lawndale won’t have me arrested like other institutions might if I randomly installed objects in their sculpture garden, right?

I have always challenged myself to take on the art that scares me the most- to embrace the butterflies as my son tells me. You don’t know until you try. - jump

I went to the door, I was hoping no one was home, Abby was a new neighbor and I introduced myself. - she moved in during Covid. We had a nice chat and she welcomed me to take her piles.

It took two trips

😁 when I bring new materials to Lawndale, I like to photograph them on this turquoise wall- documenting my materials. And I have to say! I love the colors - the Textures.

I declare this installation number 1. Untitled.

This technically is not Lawndale property, the wall is theirs, but the lot is unfortunately not owned by the institution. The lot is vacant. I get all the bundles out so I can pick up load number 2.

Installation number 2

Installation number 3

The yellow ties make my heart sing, that rich brown against the turquoise, and the golden grass softening the base, I am in heaven. I see ballerinas chins up, lined up to take their bows center stage. I had one left.

A painter from last week left their yellow roller- waste not want not. The clippings Are rich on the violet too.

Sometimes I feel guilty that I love my work so much.

There are bees that have not been seen since the 60’s that are not listed as endangered.

While the law lays out a process time of 2 years for a species to be listed, what we found is that, in practice, it takes, on average, 12.1 years," said Emily Puckett, who recently received her doctorate in the Division of Biological Sciences in the MU College of Arts and Science. "Some species moved through the process in 6 months but some species, including many flowering plants, took 38 years to be listed -- almost the entire history of the ESA."

After reading the document that listed Bombus Affinis as an endangered species I formed my own opinion by and it does not reflect well on the chemical industry.

Bombus Affinis - the rusty patch bumble bee

Lawndale Art Center - symbiosis

"It's not about glorifying the past, or vilifying progress," emphasizes Professor Boivin. "Instead, it's about bringing together the best of the past, present and future to steer a responsible and constructive course for humanity."

In a nutshell, this is what I hope to achieve with my site-specific piece, Symbiosis.

I am rethinking the uses of yard clippings.

Lawndale - Symbiosis - extractive

In Symbiosis I am stretching my practice and creating a living piece of site-specific art activism that will reimagine a 53.5’ X 48’ traditional urban landscape/sculpture garden and answer the question: how do we holistically restore an ecological balance in Houston? Symbiosis is a collaboration with Lawndale Art Center’s community, neighbors, urban wildlife, and the coastal prairies carbon cycle.

The west border of the garden has five 1 1/2 year old Crepe Myrtle’s a tree famous for murder. The murder refers to badly pruning the tree- down to the knuckles. I was not having these Crape Myrtle’s murdered. Today I used a extractive method of sculpting and clipped- nipped - and cut the existing branches. I shaped the branches/armature of the two end trees.

A sculpture garden has the four seasons of the year and a sculpture garden has the additional change of exhibitions. The pedestals from the last exhibit were still in the garden. 🤔perfect way to highlight the beauty in the wild- the imperfect- the not immaculate urban landscape.

FYI- crepe Myrtle’s are not native however they are a cherished gift to the Art Center. As an optimistic art activist I look at the project holistically to include the desires of the Art Centers board.

When I work in wire, or steele if I cut too much I can always weld it back it add more wire they are forgiving materials. When I clip a branch it is gone- no second chance. .

#artactivism #cindeeklementart #symbiosis #lawndaleartcenter #nativeplants #coastalprairie #sculpture

Create Myrtle cuttings wildly place on a pedestal.

North West Crepe Myrtle after pruning.

Cuttings from two Crepe Myrtle's and the olive trees from a few weeks ago.

South end Crepe Myrtle

Lawndale’s Symbiosis - constant research

Symbiosis is a long term art installation. A piece of dirt in the middle of a large US city, an ecosystem that serves the local art community. Through pairing my intuitive sculptural practice, and natural history research I am sculpting the garden into an ecosystem that balances the needs of the Homo sapien art community and the urban natural world. I spend much of my time filtering through biologist research, inspirational documentaries and interviews of individuals that are leading the way. New Year’s Day I listened to a remarkable podcast an interview of Nora Bateson who is an award-winning filmmaker, writer and educator, The podcast was taped before the pandemic. She knows what she is talking about. Here are two quotes from the podcast that gave me pause and reminded me how grateful I am for my opportunity to make a difference through Symbiosis at Lawndale

“ In my little fantasy there is a great big pause button, and we can say hold everything, let’s regroup, let's turn this titanic around”

“One way or another the systems that we are within are going to change.”

A very enlightening podcast regarding how change and regeneration happens. It is haunting to consider this came out before the Covid 19 quarantine of 2020. Everything Nora talks about addresses the things I am thinking about. She is most definitely an influencer. I will continue to follow and monitor her work.

You can find the interview at The Regenarration podcast on Soundcloud Solve Everything at once.

Checking on the garden I found a moth that was still alive laying in the Pond. I rescued him and laid him out to dry.

Subterraneous Secrets - how plant roots communicate with microorganisms

“Roots are essential for reaching water and nutrients, for anchorage to the ground, but also for interacting and communicating with microorganisms in the soil. A long root enables the plant to reach deeper, more humid layers of soil, for example during drought. A shallower root with many root hairs is good for phosphate uptake, as phosphate is mostly found in the upper soil layers.”-

The beauty of a leaf runs deep.

How beautiful droplets of dew or rainwater puddle on the waxy leaf surfaces? They provide the watering holes for nature’s tiniest creatures.🐞🐛🕸️🦎🐌🐸🐜🦋🐝

What do you see when you see a leaf? ☘️🌿🌱🍀

I see a unique natural system. Leaves multi-functioning as micro reservoirs, coats of armor protecting the soil, and micro floodgates slowing rainwater. 💦🌊💧

On the Coastal prairie, leaves function to protect the soil from being compacted by the pelting raindrops. If the heavy raindrops fall is not broken by layers of leaves and organic matter, the tiny cavities in living soil collapse, and rainwater moves horizontally across our landscape instead of into the tiny reservoirs in the soil. We need these small cavities to allow water to penetrate deep into the soil. Leaves also slow rain droplets giving the soil time to transport the rain to its deepest roots. Once the rain is in the ground cooling our planet leaves protect the soil from the heat of the day. This multilayered ground cover gives rain more time to trickle into the aquifer. Purifying our water and cooling our planet. How amazing are leaves? As an artist my how we see urban landscapes

My work records endangered knowledge to the collective memory and reimagines urban landscapes to holistically balance the needs of humanity and wildlife.

In Symbiosis I am stretching my practice and creating a living piece of site-specific art activism that will reimagine a 53.5’ X 48’ traditional urban landscape/sculpture garden and answer the question: how do we holistically restore an ecological balance in Houston? Symbiosis is a collaboration with Lawndale Art Center’s community, neighbors, urban wildlife, and the coastal prairies carbon cycle. #symbiosis #lawndaleartcenter #urbanlandscapes #artadia #coastalprairie #water #leaves #conservation art #bioart #nature #contemporaryart #modernart #artactivism #cindeeklementart #texasart #houstonart

Symbiosis - Living environment affects the microbiota and health of both dogs and their owners

Every morning I start my day reading an email from Sciencedaily.com. I read the environmental and health-related research news, scanning for articles that relate to my environmental/conservation sculptures and monoprints. The article Living environment affects the microbiota and health of both dogs and their owners Is an exciting read for me. My World of Hum kinetic sculpture was inspired by the impact pesticides have on native bee microflora and one aspect of my current work in progress Symbiosis at Lawndale addresses soil microbes in the sculpture garden.

Visitors are relaxing in the garden during a performance piece at the fall opening event.

Dogs are a large part of urban living and, surprisingly, at Lawndale Art Center. Every other day I stop by Lawndale to study the garden, looking for any changes in the soil, leaves, vines, pond water, and look and listen for any wildlife. Often I run into neighbors of Lawndale with small dogs that visit the garden. Stephanie, her four-year-old daughter, and King Charles Spaniel also spend time together enjoying the outdoors in the garden. Sometimes on Sundays, I bring my labrador Tobi with me. It is hard to judge the impact of urban landscapes on those who visit these green spaces with their pets. Living soil unquestionably has an impact on our microbiomes and our pets as well as supports urban wildlife. One of the most interesting books on the subject of our microbiome is I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong. Dogs

Basically everything we do impacts our microbiomes. In order to build a healthy immune system a key element in any environment is diversity. My sculpture Symbiosis will be have a positive affect on the microbiota and health of both dogs and their owners who spend time in the garden.

I felt like Sally Fields

I feel like Sally Fields at the end of her A Awards acceptance speech- anyone my ages remembers how funny that was. I always think of Sall F. When I think of being grateful when I get any positive feed back for my art.

This has to be my most liked Instagram post. That should tell me something. I guess I will be officially finding a way to combine Rumblings and the World of Hum. 🤔🤠🐝

Why Houston is in the perfect position to save the bee

Rural areas are highly impacted by the unanticipated consequences of our industrial agriculture’s dependence on chemicals that weaken bee’s immune systems. Urban bee populations can be more diverse than in rural areas. Researchers are finding in cities such as Chicago, Berlin, Berkley, and Melbourne that have reimagined their parks, neighborhoods, city centers, vacant lots, street medians, and rooftops planted with native flowers, grasses, and fruit, and vegetables support healthy, vibrant wild native bee populations.

In the US, there are four thousand native bee species. They pollinate over three hundred times more effectively than honey bees. For example, A single female Leafcutter Bee visits 100,000 plus blossoms per day whereas a honey bee visits 50-1000.

Unlike the honey bee, Native bees do not swarm, are not aggressive. Native bees are perfect for urban population centers.

Houston covers 600 square miles of land and has one of the longest growing seasons in the U.S. As it continues to sprawl across Texas, its gardens must increasingly become a refuge for native plants and animals. With 2.3 million people living in the most vital economic, cultural center of the south, we can become the most critical urban native bee habitat in the United States.

I have spent the last year and a half studying the bee situation as it pertains to my art and my interest in regenerative agriculture. I am determined to take this knowledge and save the bee in urban settings.

With Houston's land size, population, and location in the Sunbelt like it or not-we are impacting the bee population.

ADDITIONAL LINKS

If Cuba can create urban gardens to feed its poor can you imagine what we can do

Minnesota Will Pay Homeowners to Replace Lawns with Bee-Friendly Wildflowers, Clover and Native Grasses.

Prairies absorbing water

The loss of biodiversity reduces the capacity of ecosystems to provide the multiple services on which humans depend.

Why flowering meadows are better than lawns

Urban soil health: A city-wide survey of chemical and biological properties of urban agriculture soils

World of Hum- a humdinger

Keystones in El Paso

50” x 10’

watercolor monotype

Video Block

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Rumblings - Xylocopa micans

A male southern carpenter bee- This bee was sleeping on my Salvia the morning of July 4th. The male wild bees do not live in nests. When they emerge they fly out looking for females to breed with. When the females return to their nest to sleep the males curl up to an petal.

Xylocopa micans I

Xylocopa micans II

Xylocopa micans II ghost

Image from my video

Rumblings Monotypes without a printer.

Sometime in 2019 or late 2018 I discovered the USGS photographic library of wild bees. I was overwhelmed at the number of species and their individual beauty. They are jewels of the insect world. These facts combined with the reality that most well educated people believe that there is just one bee species - the honey bee. There are 20,000 species. How a creature who is responsible for our food could be misunderstood to this existent is baffling. Scientist just started realizing the error in their studies last summer. Committing to telling the story of the plight of the most important being on the planet is a worthy story. I have always felt the need to support underdogs.

Below us the artist statement for the project as I incusion it today. Artist statements remain fluid as I work on big projects.

RUMBLINGSA rumbling in the distance is nature's way to alert living creatures to their environment. Rumblings; monumentally draws attention to the 20,000 unknown species of threatened wild solitary bees. The bees that can not bee industrialized.  The watercolor ink carefully manipulated on the fifty interconnected monotypes to reflect the synergistic, aqueous effect of; the unexplored bee species superior magnetic attraction of golden dust, the movement of the anonymous Keystone species dedication to pollinate, and their fragility due to the applied chemicals that flood industrial agriculture. With Rumblings, there is knowledge and knowledge is power; it is a resounding call to all for action. 

The COVID 19 quarantine in March was a huge buzz kill to this series. These are all monotyoes. I use the plexiglass surface to create my water effect that I then press into the paper. I am very attached to this method as the best way to communicate this work for a few reasons. 1. It is a process I created and as far as I know no one else creates monotyoes with this type of mark making., 2. The watery look suggest the use if pesticides that are impacting their extension and lastly the tiny details that make up the bee is suggestive of pollen dust. I have been creating this pieces in MFAH beautiful Glassell studio school printmaking studio. With COVID that us not an option for me.

Since March, I have stitched bees and tried to be open-minded to another process to complete the series. I finally decided to see if I could hand press a 30” X 44” print in my studio.

Here I am applying the ink to the plexiglass. On the wall is a photo of Bombus Dahlbomii, the largest humble bee in the world at 2” long and endangered if it us not already extinct. The photographs are stunning. The photographs are taken if dead bees. In ny pieces, I try to put movement and energy back into the buzz pollinator.

Here I have just pressed the plexiglass with the watercolor ink bee image onto the wet paper. And surprise surprise surprise.

Bombus Dahlbomii IV

I have made three other attempts to print this monsterous fluffy ginger and not been happy with the results.

Bombus Dahlbomii IV Ghost.

The prior attempt are below. Getting a mono-colored fluffy bee with out muddying the ink was tricky.

Bombus Dahlbomii Day I

Bombus Dahlbomii Day I ghost

Bombus Dahlbomii Day II

Bombus Dahlbomii Day II ghost

Bombus Dahlbomii Day III

Bombus Dahlbomii Day I'll ghost

I am hoping the Bombus Dahlbomii day IV pieces cut the mustard. I am feeling hopeful and extremely excited that I can create monotypes without a press Is this non-verbal size.

Osmia Illinoensis- mason bee

I selected Osmia Illinoensis to add to Rumblings when I read

Osmia Illinoensis is a mason wild bee. It is a stingless, solitary bee whose territory was from Illinois to Texas. Over 25% of the 139 native mason bee species in North America are at risk; 14 have not been recorded for decades. There are two things you can do to help restore these tiny creatures that support the world's sustainable food production. Plant native plants 🌺 and grasses 🌾 while minimizing the use of pesticides 💦. Second buy local organic food and products 🥬🍅. buy local organic food and products 🥬🍅. buy local organic food and products 🥬🍅. buy local organic food and products 🥬🍅. buy local organic food and products 🥬🍅.

buy local organic food and products 🥬🍅. buy local organic food and products 🥬🍅. buy local organic food and products 🥬🍅. buy local organic food and products 🥬🍅. buy local organic food and products 🥬🍅. buy local organic food and products 🥬🍅.

Osmia Illinoensis
30” X 44” watercolor monotype.

Day two, #2 the ghost

I struggled with my technique capturing O. Illinoensis features, those tiny white hairs were impossible, the magnificent colors of the hard exoskeleton, all the while giving her life, movement and remembering to keep the watery effect that suggests the devastating impact chemicals are having on this tiny creature.

http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Osmia+illinoensis

Day 3 caran d’ ache monotype

The ghost

Lawndale Art Center - support image

It does not stand to reason that gardens or yards in Texas, Maryland, California, Iowa, and Illinois should all be landscaped with the same selection of plants. The below image from Native Texas Gardens says it all. In a country with great diversity from coast to coast, shouldn’t the sculpture garden landscapes be embedded in plants that define the place?

It will be more interesting to see sculptures in gardens of indigenous plants, plants that define the place, terrains that have attracted its people and impacted its economy. A sculpture of a boat marooned in a desert landscape might imply global warming and the same wooden vessel docked in a sea of woody pines congers up thoughts of concervation. one thing the same boat Sculpture changes across geography. What does sculpture look like in a coastal prairie sculpture garden?

Page xviv of Native Texas Gardens, maximum beauty, minimum upkeep by Sally and Andy Wasowski.

Art Activism -wahoo!

Since last November I have been dropping hints to Houston Chronicle writer Molly Glentzer to write a native bee article. Earlier this week she called to talk about native bees. Some of the information I talk about when I talk about bees is alarming. She asked if I knew a locacal native bee athaurity, I did not. She said she could find one.
Here article came out today. Sadly she did not mention my bee art activism but the native bee specialist confirmed everything I have been saying. And yes It is alarming. Knowledge is power. - plant native non hybrid plants, blue, purple, yellow and white primarily. Starting the conversation with art activism.

her awesome article is below.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/life/gardening/article/Your-Houston-garden-needs-native-bees-15287310.php