Treading Lightly

Footprints in snow. For a short time our lives are made visible. Photo taken on my trip to Japan.

Creating how you want to live your life is a daily challenge. What do you give attention to, what drops away, what new (ad)ventures are there to be discovered?

I was pondering this question after listening to the speeches at the opening of the Eldership Pride art exhibition at Murwillumbah Library this weekend. All the artists who participated in the exhibition were over 60 years old, some were exhibiting for their first time.

This art initiative was part of the Tweed Shire Council’s bid to raise awareness of ageism and “acknowledge valuable contributions by seniors in our community”.

I thought of the veneration for older people in places like Japan where the life expectancy is upwards of 85 years. Older people are sought out for their experience and wisdom, being masters of skills that are acknowledged as part of Japan’s cultural heritage.

This led to thoughts about the skills we each have. Every day we practice the art of living, but how do we want that art to look? I make art about circles, force fields, fractals, lines and connections, stitching my loved ones close.

I hope for peace, within me and without, to tread lightly and leave a footprint that harms no one. Yet I know that the choices I make, the actions I take every day affect me and everyone else around me. The best skill I can master is acceptance, to change what I can and release unrealistic expectations.

For this Eldership Pride exhibition, I wanted to express the layering of lived experiences, the wisdom gained like the Norse God Odin, who hung from Yggdrasil, the world tree for nine days and nights before emerging victorious with the Rune stones. Yggdrasil is also called the world tree of mystical knowledge. My work is about stitching together layers of experience.to embody wisdom.

The red stitched tree roots go deep, sea and soil are the elements that shape who I am. Handmade banana papers and kozo papers represent the lightness of being. Making it was an adventure in recycling old artworks to make new. I am pleased with the result.

Yggdrasil: the World Tree 2024. Handmade papers, ink, seaweed, stitching. Collage on wooden board.