FLOATING WORLDS

Not that long ago I had an dream in which I was paddling through a dense swamp, sitting in a small open boat (like a canoe or maybe it was a pirogue, being that I'm from Louisiana). Boat specifics aside, floating on top of the water's surface were small and large groups of beautifully lush and diverse flowers and plants—kind of like floating islands of botanical abundance. here were no fish or birds or the usual swamp creatures in sight. Just various cohorts of plants. And they weren't rooted in the ground because there was no real land in this swamp. It was like earthy flora and underwater foliage had merged together into a new form, and the way in which they were entangled was what created and sustained their little islands. 

As I made my way around the swamp and its various islands, I noticed that each grouping had distinct “personalities”—they were sentient. They were talking to me, but in an unspoken way. I realized I could feel them communicating with me and understood them even though nothing was audible and we didn't speak the same language. I was reading their minds and they could also read mine. Each island had something different to say. Whatever message was being conveyed, it felt calm and peaceful and at the same time bright and energetic. 

As soon as I woke up, I couldn't remember any of what the plant groups had relayed to me, but I don't think I'll ever forget the experience and the beauty of the little floating botanical islands. It inspired me to take the feeling from that dream and channel it into this new series of ceramic sculptures.

Photo of canoe by Ian Keefe