Art in Nature

Yesterday afternoon I desperately needed to get out of the house. I thought it would be fun to explore some new territory so I googled a few possibilities and then drove out to Meyers Park in south Lansing. Located on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake--right at the first knuckle of the giant finger--it is home to a marina and camping area and offers superb lake-side views for picnicers and one of the loveliest swimming areas I know of.

The water was clear, calm, and surprisingly warm. It had been a hot day so I rolled up my pants legs and waded slowly into the shallows. Little schools of tiny fish darted about--so well camouflaged as to be almost invisible above the brown pebbly bottom. I looked around and was overwhelmed by the idyllic scene surrounding me...

As is frequently my habit I looked down toward my feet as they scuffled over the algae-covered rocks below me. I noticed a beautiful piece of succulent lake flora floating by...

...and marveled at all the tiny white mussel shells that peppered the ground surrounding the stones. When I noticed a particularly interesting piece of water-carved shale I brought it to the surface and started rubbing away some of the algae. After only a little effort the slimy booger-green skin gave way to a lusciously dark red-brown surface. I put it back in the water and the stone gleamed. Almost black against its surroundings it looked like a work of art.

I suddenly remembered an incredible documentary I'd seen a few years ago about artist Andy Goldsworthy entitled Rivers and Tides. Goldsworthy uses nature herself as his medium as he wanders the countryside looking for ways to manipulate colored leaves, stones, native vegetation, and even ice into beautiful natural sculptures that remain intact anywhere from a few seconds to a few weeks. Indeed, the temporary nature of his creations is often key to their unique appeal. Here's a link to a short excerpt from the film that poignantly illustrates the beauty and fragility of his work.

Inspired by the memory of the film I decided to try my hand at a little nature art myself. To be sure my constructions are like children's scribbles when compared with Goldsworthy's work, but I had a tremendous amount of fun putting them together and definitely enjoyed having an excuse to wade around in Cayuga's luxuriant waters for a little over an hour.

Here are some of the results...

I'm calling this last one "self portrait with camera" even though I didn't notice my reflection in the water until I got home and looked over the photos (oops!)...