MateriALS

The natural world is an endless source of inspiration and sustenance. The materials I use in my creative practice tell stories of resilience, strength, and a necessary faith in time. All materials are preserved and sealed for longevity of wear.

Lichens

Lichens are incredible entities, and much is still being learned about them. Lichens are composite organisms resulting from an algae or cyanobacteria living in a symbiotic relationship with two or more distinct fungi. There are an estimated 17,000 to 20,000 species of lichen, but the complexity of their beings makes them notably difficult to categorize. They are thought to cover 6-8% of the Earth’s surface, which speaks to the incredibly diverse ecosystems in which they can survive and the influence they have on our planet. Lichens make their homes on the bark of trees, attached to rocks, or even growing in the soil. Many species grow incredibly slowly and can withstand a variety of extreme conditional changes, earning them the label of “polyextremophiles".” Lichens are believed to be among the oldest living things on earth, with map lichen species in Greenland dated at over 5,000 years. Much current research is being done on lichens' ability to record climate change, as their age and ability to absorb even trace elements offer a window into historic atmospheric conditions.

I love lichens; they have forever changed my view of the world and continue to teach me so much about how to live. Lichens are small but mighty organisms that offer valuable lessons on how to thrive in any environment. Their secret lies in their cooperative nature. A union of fungi, algae, and other microorganisms, lichens demonstrate that working for the common good is useful, necessary, and sustainable. They are long-living and slow-growing, showing us that strength comes through adaptation and patience. They have a profound impact on their surroundings, eroding wood and stone to pave the way for other, more diverse organisms to thrive. 

These agents of change continue to challenge our categories and understandings of what it means to be an individual. May they help you lean into curiosity and your inextricable connection to a wide and fascinating world. 

driftwood

Driftwood is an endlessly amazing material with which to create, as each piece is vastly different from the next. As wood is battered by the power of currents and tides, the bark is worn in unique patterns - thus making it difficult to identify the species and origin of the wood. Driftwood provides an important ecosystem service, acting as shelter to birds, fish, plants and other aquatic species both in the open water and on land. Logs washed ashore are broken down by bacteria and worms, returning their nutrients to the ecosystem. Some logs can even become the foundation for sand dunes, drastically changing the character of their surroundings.

Driftwood shows us the beauty that comes from weathering a storm. We all feel adrift right now, in the midst of this new, changed world. Let us trust that what we’re enduring will change us for the better. The patterns this will form in our minds and our bodies will be beautiful in their own way, if we pay attention to them and heed their wisdom. This time is hard earned. Let us remember that it is taking us somewhere and prepare ourselves for new, distant shores.

Madrone

Madrone (arbutus) trees are deeply loved in the West. They are charismatic, with bright red bark and branches that twist and turn—always in search of light. They are master cooperators, hosting a wide variety of mycorrhizal fungal species on their roots that help them establish communities with other tree species and increase access to vital resources for them to thrive.

Salish legend says that arbutus roots hold the earth together. With all that we’re experiencing with the exposure and re-assessment of our social contracts, the madrone feels like a good tree to model. By reaching out, cooperating with others on the basis of securing one another’s needs, we, too, can hold our world together. May these pieces help you establish connection, stay grounded in truth, and forever seek the light.

Tamarisk

Tamarisk is an ornamental species turned invasive, dramatically altering riparian ecosystems in the arid west. These salt cedar trees guzzle water and release thousands of seeds, which has led to dense thickets along riverbanks pushing out native species while stabilizing riverbanks. The Forest Service has had a long, fraught fight with these trees, using many methods of management from backhoes to beetles. For all the destruction they’ve caused, tamarisk have also had a notable positive impact on migratory birds, offering safe places for nesting that have stabilized populations of rare and occasional visitors. Learning where and how to mitigate tamarisk continues to be a difficult exercise, with so many complex relationships to weigh.

I love the evolving story of tamarisk, for it forces us to look at the long view. Our decisions often have lasting impacts, for so many beyond ourselves. Each of us holds the capacity for both destruction and creation, and we live in the space between. We must choose our partners carefully and wisely, and encourage one another in what nourishes the greater good—which can often be an elusive exercise.

May they help you lean into nuance, humility, and the long view.

Quaking Aspen

Aspen trees form clonal colonies—great networks of individual trees connected genetically and physically through a shared root system. Because of this structure, aspen colonies can live incredibly long lives—upwards of 10,000 years—even in the face of large-scale environmental changes. In most cases, aspen groves depend on fires to clear out competing conifers. While individual aspen trees may perish in the process, their clonal roots remain vivacious below the surface, ready to sprout forth quickly into a new world.

Aspens can teach us so much about going through hardship—not just that we can survive it, but that it is required for us to thrive. By facing difficult situations head on, we learn to collect our energy, disperse it to areas that need tending, and rise up together with renewed purpose and vigor.