Looking Simply In by Valarie Budayr

Brightly colored flowers, leaves, mud, pinecones, tree branches, icicles, snow, stone, twigs, and thorns. All of these are the components of Andy Goldsworthy’s artwork. I recently saw the film “Rivers and Tides”. I was mesmerized by his complete connection to nature, living in the moment, and knowing that once his creation was completed that it would before too long be transitioning to another form, through another season, and into another state.

Part of the magic of creating is bringing to life something from nothing. Something which only existed in our minds eye and comes to realization through our processes.

“For me looking, touching, material, place and form are all inseparable from the resulting work. It is difficult to say where one stops and another begins. Place is found by walking, direction determined by weather and season. I take the opportunity each day offers: if it is snowing, I work in snow, at leaf-fall it will be leaves; a blown over tree becomes a source of twigs and branches.”

Click goes the camera. Upon finishing one of his pieces, Andy Goldsworthy capture’s a moment in time. Whether he perceives the work to be good or bad, it is always documented. He is aware that nature is raw and is always in a state of change. In working with natural material in natural settings creates an understanding to working with and in nature.

By working simply and in the natural settings in which the materials are found opens up and understanding of the process of life itself. As each art piece is in it’s creative state, he knows that this moment is fleeting and the life process of ebbing and flowing will continue on, it will continue to be part of the natural rhythm of life.

I found this film and Andy Goldsworthy’s art to be captivating. Enjoy !!

Valarie Budayr is the founder of Audrey Press and author of the book The Fox Diaries: The Year the Foxes Came to our Garden. She is passionate about making kid’s books come alive and you can find her doing that on her popular blog and website, Jump into a Book. When she isn’t being bookie, she is very happily the mother of three uber creative children, married to a wonderfully patient man who has come to love yarn, and caretaker of one adored cat. Other creative interests are music, travel, knitting (a bonafide yarn harlot), and gardening. She loves living a daily creative practice, where even a good cup of coffee is art