Antlers and found objects as connections to the land

For literally thousands of years, and certainly in the more recent times of past centuries especially anywhere antlered mammals have coexisted with humans, antlers have been used for display, tool and jewelry making, and even for trading purposes. As with the finding and gathering of sea shells, or picking up a beautiful rock on a walk or hike, doing so gives us an immediate connection to our natural world. I’ve mentioned before the ‘conduit of connection’ made between us and our natural surroundings as a powerful and important element in our lives, often without us even being conscious of it. Naturally shed antlers have always given me that connection, although my connections to the land are often times front and center whether I want to appreciate them or not at the time! The often opposite ends of extremes of conditions that I have had to operate in for the past 35+ years in my other vocation, has given me poignant reminders of who is really in control of things – Mother Nature for sure! I have my ‘conduit of connection’ to the natural world in my face on a daily basis, sometimes so much so, that I often long for simply a warm dry place to reset after many sun up to sun down, cold and wet days in the field. For me as well, working out in the wild lands that I operate in sometimes leave me longing for being curled up before bedtime reading my two little kids their chosen bedtime story!

But as humans, who have evolved over thousands of years smack dab in the natural world though, sometimes we need a reminder that the natural world is very important to our psyche, even more so now than at any other time in our history. The 24 hour access to news, NetFlix, FB…or ‘worse’, running here and there to work or kids activities, are among the literally millions of ‘bits of information’ we absorb and need short breaks from. Finding refuge from the constant ‘din’ of sound waves bombarding our brains, is key to us finding a ‘recharging’ solitude. The environs we surround ourselves in should have some reflections of the natural world in them to help us be reminded that the closed up spaces we inhabit should be used as refuges from the day to day, but also of natural spaces to be explored or enjoyed. Surrounding ourselves with various earth elements can be done in many ways, a bright and comforting arrangement of flowers certainly is a quick and simple no brainer. Gathering items for display or arrangement, such as with a carefully clumped group of twigs or fallen branches, displaying a piece of found driftwood, or with the display of an earth element done in sculpture form, can add texture and warmth to our chosen spaces. Natural or found objects come in many forms for us to surround ourselves with. We simply need to be mindful of what speaks to us and incorporate them into our surroundings.

A beautiful find from Mother Nature…

…bringing nature in.

From field….

…to the foundry, to your chosen space.