HUMMINGBIRDS 8" x 10" print

“Science asks us to learn about organisms. Traditional knowledge asks us to learn from them”.

-Robin Wall Kimmerer

This artwork is from a 2022 wall calendar project and is exploring how change happens in the more-than-human world. What is the pace? What is the scale? The catalysts, the intelligence, the resources? The plants and animals are powerful teachers and offer abundant examples of how, specifically, to practice a cooperative, interconnected life. Here I explore examples of Pollination (sharing), Metamorphosis (forming), Germination (growing), and Decomposition (Dying). Each monthly page includes a few questions about how these examples might translate to human experiences.

Pollination: MOVEMENT. HUMMINGBIRDS. These birds can visit between 1000 to 3000 flowers a day. In the act of pollination, these creatures get both the food they need and the ability to transport pollen to other plants where they facilitate new life. Can you imagine a situation where getting the nourishment you need, mentally, physically, and spiritually, coincided with fulfilling a larger community need?