Projects Overview

Projects arise in tandem with artists, creative networks, and random Forest Flaneur inspirations. Books, workshops and conferences allow for dissemination of research to share with the general public. Product lines are developing from various projects that combine a forest flaneur perspective with utility. Explore and hopefully your own Forest Flaneur will be awakened.

Bali: Flaneur of rahAyu

A stroll through the Balinese culture embodies a philosophy of three sacred relationships: humans to God, Nature, and each other. The Balinese believe in this wisdom as Tri Hirta Kirana with constant sounds of monks ringing bells, ceremonial offerings, and smiles that stretch beyond imagination. The Balinese palette touches our senses with a delightful array of visual, tactile and audio wonders. Sambal is the spicy sauce that reaches into the heart of the island and ignites our lips with its Indonesian mysterious healing powers; our bodies changed forever. We merge our past, present and future lifetimes, to commune with the Gods-safe in harmony. This is the essence of RAHAYU, a Balinese word that is quiet yet bold in these times of confusion. It is like the lotus pushing gracefully through the muddy waters to bloom. Balinese life is a constant cycle of sacred waters flowing from the Heavens and all the creatures rejoicing in the stillness of the night for a brighter day.

BALI: EL FLANEUR DE RAHAYU

Un paseo por la cultura balinesa encarna una filosofía basada en tres relaciones sagradas: la del ser humano con Dios, con la naturaleza y con los demás. Los balineses abrazan esta sabiduría —conocida como *Tri Hita Karana*— entre el sonido constante de las campanas de los monjes, las ofrendas ceremoniales y sonrisas que desbordan toda imaginación. La paleta sensorial de Bali cautiva nuestros sentidos con una maravillosa variedad de experiencias visuales, táctiles y sonoras. El sambal, esa salsa picante que llega al corazón de la isla, enciende nuestros labios con sus misteriosos poderes curativos indonesios, transformando nuestros cuerpos para siempre. Fusionamos nuestras vidas pasadas, presentes y futuras para comulgar con los dioses, protegidos en un estado de armonía. Esta es la esencia de *RAHAYU*, una palabra balinesa que se alza serena pero audaz en estos tiempos de confusión; es como la flor de loto que emerge con gracia de las aguas fangosas para florecer. La vida en Bali es un ciclo constante de aguas sagradas que descienden de los cielos, mientras todas las criaturas se regocijan en la quietud de la noche aguardando un día más radiante.

Vegetable Patchwork: Flaneur of the soil

Nature heals with sunshine, soil and rainy afternoons. Dig into the wonders of observation from seedlings to flowers. Spectacular fruits and vegetables blossom with time. Absorbing colours and textures that make up the essence of a Mediterranean diet. It feeds the body as well as the Soul; a wholesome oneness. Pondering through the tasty tomato vines, appetising aubergines, perky peppers and melancholy melons. Mindful that the weather has its own random meander with a sudden storm to cool off in summer. Patience grows slowly under the gardener’s trowel. All in good time. Finally the patchwork is stitched together with olive oil, garlic and wild rosemary sprigs; tossed together on a whim. Salud!

Aranjuez: Gardens & river 2019-2024

Maestro J. Rodrigo’s (1901-1999) inpirational landscape & soundscape is located just south of Madrid, in Aranjuez. His unique guitar symphonic composition, “Concierto de Aranjuez” was born from strolling in the gardens. Later he composed it fully in Paris based on his memory of birdsongs and fountains. First debut 1939.

Aranjuez celebrated special music days dedicated to Maestro Rodrigo for the first time in 2019.  Although Aranjuez is not his hometown, his masterpiece namesake has been recognized worldwide.  Guitar as the main instrument at the forefront of an orchestra was a rare event, and Rodrigo introduced the Spanish guitar as part of his homeland nostalgia. At the time, he was living in Paris and Spain was on the edge of civil war. Although a concert pianist, Maestro Rodgrigo found the guitar the best instrument to convey the essence of this landscape that captured his heart on his honeymoon in Aranjuez. To coincide with the 80-year anniversary of this magnificant composition, I began a project to capture the essence of his inspirational landscape as a forest flaneur.  For the past few years, I have strolled the same paths as Maestro Rodrigo and lived amongst the bird songs that inspired his guitar concert.  Now in 2023 the project is coming to completion.  A special commission by the local rowing association will house one of my final paintings from this collection in their newly awarded building for a national rowing center. A 3D poetic canvas will also be created in homage to this composer along with a short musical score on piano, my instrument of choice.

The Olive Branch: Toledo & surrounding olive groves 2023-2024

The olive branch project began as part of the international cultural heritage celebration (UNESCO) of the olive tree. It is celebrated in November and this year women were part of the theme. I created a mixed media collage on canvas that is a fusion of contrasts; the softness of lace juxtaposed to the roughness of an olive branch. Lace is traditionally a women’s handicraft due to its complicated process of intwining threads with nimble fingers.  It is valued for its beautifully woven patterns and versatility. The coarse olive branch is stiff and rudimentary withstanding winds and dry heat in rocky soils. It is respected for its steadfast determination and abundance of fruits sustaining civilizations past and present with its oil. Together these elements form a bridge across the canvas unbroken in strength and elegance much like women who have worked side by side in the olive groves over time to produce quality oil. It is no wonder that the olive branch is our shared cultural heritage considering it has inspired legends, myths, and spiritual renewal under the wings of Goddesses such as Athena and Eirene (Goddess of Peace). Let us not forget the simple yet powerful symbol of the olive branch. I offer here my olive branch in communion of other women as a way across borders for reconciliation to rub out the roughness in the world with its soothing oil, especially today in times of unrest. Hopefully it will inspire others to create their own version of an olive branch.  A forest flaneur stroll through the olive groves of Toledo countryside has a quiet and serene element of wisdom imbedded in the ancient trunks. Can we hear it? I hope to capture more creative inspirations from these mighty trees and their ageless landscapes. A 3D poetic canvas upcoming.

Past Projects

Project 1

The Mini Zen Flaneur and sharing abundance.

The farm flaneur came about due to my recovery from Covid-19 in Spring 2020. I was able to rent a plot of land in a rural area south of Madrid to get out into the fresh air and sunshine. Organic gardening was refreshed from years ago in California volunteering with UCSC Chadwick farm project. In Spring 2020, it was a way to build back my physical strength and at the same time raise my own food. On my flaneur following a country road to the farm, I stopped and took in the flora and fauna. I took notice of the farming community (human and animal) that I was now becoming a member. As I gardened with weeding and caring for plants, I became immersed in a mini zen flaneur of visual and tactile perception. The harvest was abundant and we shared all with friends and family. Poetry and art to follow.

Project 2

Journaling through the pandemic.

As I faced the aftermath of Covid-19 side effects from the virus, I realized my body was in need of recovery including my cognitive and emotional status. I had made a journal of scanty notes during the illness.  The challenge of isolation was daunting, so I used this creative writing technique to ease the mental pain and keep a focus on progress to trudge through the dark times.  It served me greatly to find a voice with an ironic tone in order to face the whole ordeal from a positive attitude. Later, I used these notes to write a story that actually helped me recover my brain capacity. I had started with poetry as a simple way to approach a cognitive task. It was a slow process to activate the brain, and not overheat it. I had headaches, confusion and trouble focusing. Then, I added a prose section to explain the story reaching out to a broader audience and levelling up my capacity to complete longer sentences and paragraphs. Finally I added an academic section of research to recover completely. It was an efficient mode of gain back my concentration and confidence. Journalling workshops available. Book published August 2019.

Project 3

In the footsteps of Mary Shelley Wollstonecraft.

2019 marked the 200-year anniversary of the first Frankenstein publication in 1819.  I was in Mont Blanc holding a workshop on the flaneur methodology and was able to capture a unique walk behind Mary Shelley Wollstonecraft in her poetic inspirations for the novel.  It was Autumn 2019 and the proliferation of mushrooms dotted the countryside with a wonderland of colour hidden and in plain view.  However, the unexpected glacier flaneur was astoundingly magical with its exquisite colours and texture admired from a distance.  However, the shock came as we approached the ice cave. The markers of time alerted walkers to the devastating depletion of the ecosystem since Mary had visited.  The most noticeable was the 2015-2019 gap that was as large as 1915-2015.  In a mere 4 years, the glacier had melted at the same rate as the one hundred years prior!  I began to create a photo collage of movement for the mushrooms that were poisonous and untouchable.  I wanted to write and paint this sense of speed that blurs our vision of global warming; bringing it to the forefront.  Poetry and art to follow.  Book published 2022.