Glass & Resin - It's a family thing!
- milkweedherbals
- 6 days ago
- 7 min read
Glass & Resin Art History
Working with glass set with resin has been in my family since my Great Grandmother Ida Nelson started “painting” with glass back in the 1960’s. I remember visiting her home once in Oregon as a very young child. She had a small art studio filled with tiny broken pieces of glass in jars covering the wall. My Great Grandfather, her husband, Roy Nelson would lovingly crush all of her glass from old bottles, vases, plates, ect. He used to make all her frames from discarded lumber too. Friends and family would donate all kinds of glass of differing colors for her to use. She loved art and loved to create! She used to make coloring books for her children and shortly after for all the children in the county. She would travel the county teaching art classes and selling her coloring books. She even used to make doll houses and all of the furniture to go inside out of paper. You could think of it similar to origami. She was noted in several newspapers (see accompanying newspaper articles and photos of life's work), won awards, on TV and had several exhibits/shows across the nation. Several of her pieces have been on display in churches, banks, and rest homes in Dallas and Salem Oregon. One of her pieces, a Leopard in a tree, took first place in a national craft show in 1968 and was quoted as worth $15,000. While I never did get to learn from her personally. I do have several of her pieces that I use to help inspire and guide my own art journey with glass.
Today I buy all of my glass at a glass art studio in Kensington, Maryland. When I create a piece of glass art I infuse the energetic expression of the plant or animal I am working with. I sit, meditate, and sometimes journey with some of the medicine I am working with. I do this so that the energy of the spirit that I’m working with will come through in the art. When applicable, I will add some of the medicine to the art piece to get a little bit more infusion. Art for me is a way to express myself and find deep healing. Each piece is unique and carries with it a piece of the spirit of the subject. My goal for each art piece is that someone will find beauty, inspiration and healing from the art.
My Journey with United Plant Savers Art Residency
When I first arrived at United Plant Savers I was in awe of the beauty, gifts, exchange, and healing the land had to offer. The days leading up to leaving for United Plant Savers were filled with turmoil, unworthy thoughts, and feelings of self doubt. It was especially hard for me mentally traveling the 5 ½ hours in my car from Maryland to Ohio due to these feelings. It felt like I had to drag myself to get there. Before this journey I had started listening to audiobooks during my travels to herb school with Suzanna Stone in Scottsville, Virginia. The book I was listening to at the time was Braiding Sweetgrass. Almost any herbalist will tell you they’ve read it, are reading it or it’s on their list to read. I was almost done with the book when I made the trip to United Plant Savers in June of 2024. I had about 4 hours to go in the book so I decided to finish it on my way. I’m so glad I did. For the remainder of the book Robin Wall Kimmerer talked about the devastation, exploitation, pollution and raping inflicted on the land by corporations lead by greed. She also goes on to talk about the reciprocity and responsibility between the land and humans. How we humans can make it right. It is our responsibility to help the land heal and in it heal ourselves too. This reciprocity or exchange is within all of creation. This give and take. It is inherent in all living things. And as I was listening to this I was reminded of a time as a little girl maybe no older than five. It had to do with the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between us and plants. I would recite over and over again that we breathe out carbon dioxide. The plants breathe in the carbon dioxide and they breathe out oxygen, that which we then breathe in, in return. At five years old I knew this to be true down to my core. My soul said yes to this fundamental truth of exchange of reciprocity. And my love for plants and the natural world began then and there. So it was with no surprise to me that I connected with what Robin was saying in her book. And now I had a new word to describe this exchange. And so as I arrived at United Plant Savers I was filled with heartache for all the damage done and yet hopeful for the future.
We met Chip on the following day after arriving. Chip has been a steward of the land and been working with United Plant Savers for 30+ years. He showed us around and I remembered being blown away with all he shared about the land and organization. The giving of gifts, restoration of the land and endless healing opportunities that were possible. My heart was filled and ready to burst! I remember Chip offering so many different options and opportunities for us to connect with the land and saying “We are here for you” over and over again. And I felt my heart growing bigger than it ever has before! The agreement with United Plant Savers we had agreed upon for the art residency program was more than I had expected. This was the living embodiment of the definition of “reciprocity” that Robin was saying. My heart was full and I was in love. In love with the land and in love with United Plant Savers and the stewards of the land. United Plant Savers has restored many aspects to the land and is continuing restoration within its 3,000 acres to its natural state. I could feel the words and hope of Robin Wall Kimmerer in all the work done here and was humbled to be one of five in my cohort to be given this opportunity to connect with and make art with this land.
The second day there, I wanted to introduce myself to the land and to make an offering. But I needed the land to speak to me as to where to do this. So myself and two other cohort members decided to go on a hike on one of the many trails called “Reclamation Trail”.
Upon entering the old growth forest
I was stopped in my tracks and again taken by the beauty and wisdom held in the trees. I knew this was the spot. So my cohort left me to do “my thing”.
I turned left and saw a tree a little bit in the distance. The sun was shining through the forest canopy highlighting the tree and plants under it. I decided to walk to the spot. Upon my journey there I looked down and saw little goldenseal babies.
The goldenseal had clearly been planted in this location with intention. I quickly retraced my footsteps so as to not disturb them and made my offering to them. It took me a day or two to realize that the goldenseal was asking me to make a picture of them. And that is when I decided to make the Goldenseal picture named “Family”. This picture is my offering, gift, exchange of reciprocity to United Plant Savers, the land and plants and to all those that came before and will come after me. So that all who see it will know the magic, beauty and healing powers that United Plant Savers and Goldenseal have to offer. We are a family, connected, always striving to live in right relationship, in harmony with ourselves, others and the natural world. So please accept my gift and I hope many will get to see it in person for the wonders it holds are much more spectacular in person than a photograph can convey.
Family
June 2024
United Plant Savers - Deep Ecology Artists Fellowship - Goldenseal
As I sat down to journey with Goldenseal the word “Family” came through. I had decided to journey with a large group of goldenseal protected by rows of Oak trees on United Plant Savers property. The planting of goldenseal and Oak trees was again, intentional. And the result was a thriving family of goldenseal and Oak living in perfect harmony. In the picture the goldenseal plant is surrounded by other goldenseal yet stands independent. The frame is meant to represent the grove of Oak Trees that stand tall in protection of the goldenseal.
Community
June 2024
United Plant Savers - Deep Ecology Artists Fellowship - Echinacea & Wildflower Garden
I had the idea to make a picture of Echinacea, another name is purple coneflower. It’s one of my favorite flowers. And yet when I sat down to journey with this plant, all these other voices around echinacea were asking to be represented as well. They said, “What about me?”. So the frame got turned and the title got changed to “Community”. My plan for the picture was to have fun. To break my artistic boundaries and to really just play. I had so much fun creating this piece and I can really feel the energy truly come alive in it!
All in all I had an amazing time at United Plant Savers. Everyone who works there is as kind and loving as the land. It truly is a gem to visit. I will forever be a member of United Plant Savers and an advocate for the plants, land and animals we all call family. This connection of reciprocity between us and the natural world is all around us. It is us. We are it. I didn’t just get to hear and learn this over my week at United Plant Savers. I got to
witness it, embody it, feel it, and be it. Isn’t that what we are all striving for in our herbal communities, as herbalists, healers, and spiritual teachers? Wow, what a gift. Be the change! May the plants, animals and elements always be a guide and your spirit allies.
With Love,
Juniper
P.S. My future plans for glass art is to move away from using resin. I am working on acquiring the skills and tools to work with fire in order to take my art to the next level. My goal is that this will not only transform my art but also be better for the environment. Please reach out to me at milkweedherbals@gmail.com for more information, commissioned work and be on the lookout for new artwork!
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