Showing posts with label Nature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nature. Show all posts

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Scrumptious sticks

We see sticks all the time, but do we ever think about how they came to be? Prosaic sticks-- branches, formerly parts of living trees. Do we ever realize that seen through the eyes of others, they are objects of beauty and can be reused to create art?

Installation artist Patrick Dougherty views sticks as magnificent pieces of landscape. He goes beyond the concept of the simple switch, and bends twigs, saplings and branches into art based on nature. As birds create nests, he uses similar techniques, plus lines and volume and texture to form his own vision. His new volume, Stickwork, is a compilation of years of his most magnificent twisted creations.


Here's a profile of the sculptor, discussing how he creates his unusual works.



If you're interested in learning more about Dougherty's work, and where you can visit his installations, check out the book's website--Stickwork.net.

Stickwork, the art book, is newly available at The Urbana Free Library. Place your own hold, or contact any of the Adult Services Librarians, reference@tufl.info or 217-367-4405.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Every Day Is Earth Day






One great thing about having a birthday on April 22nd is that CUMTD honors me by offering the community free bus rides all day long.

(rimshot)

But seriously, Happy Earth Day!

In related news: Friday, April 30th, is Arbor Day in Illinois.

Each state celebrates Arbor Day at slightly different times, as do countries worldwide, from Australia to Yemen.

The Arbor Day Foundation offers a variety of ideas on how to mark the occasion, including a resource called Celebrate Arbor Day Guidebook (pdf).

Locally, the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) based in Champaign is hosting a contest called Trees Bring Life to the Neighborhood.

There are five categories for everyone from kindergarten scribblers to professional adult photographers. Deadline: April 26th.

The ISA created a suggested reading list targeted to youngsters. You can find the titles below at, or through, our library ...
The Lorax / Dr. Seuss

The Giving Tree / Shel Silverstein

The Green Hour: A Daily Dose of Nature for Happier, Healthier, Smarter Kids / Todd Christopher

Lives of the Trees: An Uncommon History / Diana Wells

A Festival of Trees: An Adventure in Israel / Disney's Small World Library

We Planted a Tree / Diane Muldrow

This Tree Counts / Alison Formento

Poetrees / Douglas Florian

Wildwood: A Journey Through Trees / Roger Deakin

Our Tree Named Steve / Alan Zweibel

A Friend for All Seasons / Julie Hubery

Arbor Day / Kelly Bennett

Pearl Plants a Tree / Jane Breskin Zalben

Arbor Day Magic / James W. Baker
Photo courtesy of Per Ola Wiberg ~ Powi (CC BY 2.0).

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Spring Is Here ... and the Bugs Too



In this video from Big Think, anthropologist Hugh Raffles at The New School asks us to resist the urge to kill insects and explains why:
Don’t swat a fly and don’t smush a spider. You don’t need to do that and just think about how interesting they are and maybe just look at them. I think we can--I really do think it enriches our lives to look at them and to pay attention to them.