Alison Lee Cousland

Infinity: The convergence of:

Ephemeral arrangements

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1. Constructing a Brush Turkey ‘de-fence’ over the newly established garden: Replanted on top of 2023’s Brush Turkey Mound in our backyard.
2. Repurposing the weft of an old unravelling rug, handmade from strands of silk sarees.
3. Being encouraged to hold a workshop on making ‘Magical Wands’ for children in 2025 at the Community Centre where I recently exhibited my work.
4. Exploring the Infinity symbol:

As I unravelled, tore and knotted remnants of old silk sarees, to make ‘cords’ to define the (virtually invisible) Brush Turkey wire fence ~ Thoughts floated by.

Sitting in the sun upon the earth, within a short time the nature of this ‘slightly boring chore’ changed to become a very enjoyable one.

The knots became more and more creative: Thoughts of how to show children simple ways to make bindings for their ‘Magical Wands’ flowed as I knotted: Simple single knots to layered fabric knots.

I feel very excited about passing on my creative ’skills’ to children now ~ Encouraging them to repurpose and see the beauty in the old, dull and discarded as well as nature’s natural materials. Exemplifying Hippocrates’ famous dictum: ‘First, do no harm’ as mentioned by Richard Heinberg.

I’ve had an affinity with the infinity/eternity symbol for a very long time: Working with the symbol in ephemeral arrangements and recently I’ve been hearing ‘whispers’ to work with it again.

I’ve walked images of dragonflies with ‘wings of infinity’ in the frosted grass of the local golf course and a few weeks ago started walking just the Infinity symbol.

Watching the video: ‘The Power of Walking the Eight’ with Sarita Sol ~ sarita-sol.com/about ~ Has explained so much to me.

From thinking, to walking, to creating with unravelled threads: The infinity symbol is coming into so many threads of my being.
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2024
  • Alison Lee Cousland

Eco Curios: No 2. Humanity and Trees:

Arrangement
2024

This work is based on ’Tree’ with her trunk, branches and leaves, and all that lies hidden beneath the earth: Networks of roots: And the affinity 'Tree' has to our own Human Nature.

Wands and Pouches incorporating: Sashiko: Traditional Water pattern embellished with French knots and seed stitch with shells and crystals.

Held together in an arrangement of: Feathers and seeds: Drying plant fibres for cordage. Peace lilies and dried Anthuriums.A round metal earring and Hamsa hand.

To represent: This time of the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse and our growing connection to each other and all Life on Planet Earth.

‘Part of the reason why our world and planet are facing such crisis is because we have become disconnected from the Nature of our Human Nature. And in order to find our truest nature for ourselves, there must be a connection to the nature that we’re a part of.’ ~Julia Butterfly Hill.

‘We’ve so altered nature that we no longer recognize it as nature in the form of a building, or as light shining down on us, or as water as it comes out of a faucet. We have to look at where the ‘Disease of Disconnect’ is in such a way that we can find how to heal it.’ ~Julia Butterfly Hill.

‘We can connect more deeply to ourselves, each other and our world, and the intricate ways in which our health as a species and a global ecology are intrinsically connected to our agriculture practices and stewardship of land.’ ~Zach Bush MD.

Imposing policies from above without adequate understanding of those policies from community members will lead to political failure’ ~Richard Heinberg.
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2024
  • Alison Lee Cousland

Earth and Heaven. No 10 and 11 Arrangements

Arrangements

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“Building community resilience starts with people: Their energy, interests, needs, and creativity.” ~Richard Heinberg.

These arrangements tell of the movement of the ocean within an 11:11 that has now transitioned into a ‘Temple for Nature.’

The theme: The movement of the ocean: Rockpools and different life forms brought together by the movement of tides and the life forms themselves Can also be seen as individuals who were once content to ‘do their own thing’ now realize the need for co-creation at a grassroots community level so that, in the words of Zach Bush: Humanity is called back into alignment with Nature.

The more we lean into designing our personal and professional lives around nature’s natural rhythms, the more ‘in flow’ and, ultimately, productive we will become. ~Zach Bush. The Institute of Natural Law.

In the early arrangements of this series, the isolated fragments from land and sea (the individual) with white space around them have gradually come together as organic clusters (communities founded on earth-based values) still with the same white space around their groupings.

I’m starting to see that the white space represents ‘The Peace of the Universe which transcends all understanding’ ~ Supporting both our sovereignty and community resilience.

Also, surprisingly, These pieces connect to collage work I did in the early 2000s featuring the 11:11 ~ Only the 11:11 is far more subtle now.
©
2023
  • Alison Lee Cousland

Earth and Heaven. No 1.

1: Earth and Heaven
2 & 3: Eco Curio
4 & 5: Paperbark book (wip)
6: Tiny Sacred Art Journal (wip)
7: Vine and feathers
8: Earth and Heaven

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We need education that trains people in both community and personal resilience-building.’ ~Richard Heinberg.

Can our children be taught personal resiliency so that our entire communities will become more resilient in the face of great change: Adapting to uncertainty and adversity, so that a new strength can emerge within individuals and society. Perhaps the best way to cultivate resiliency is to create the social and environmental conditions where an individual can greet every day ~ And situation ~ In total freedom and joy, with a sense of wonder and self love.

So that in the words of John O’Donohue: ‘May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.’ Because: ‘No one else can see the world the way you see it. No one else can feel your life the way you feel it.’

It's said that the way to truly grow is to break free from ‘the chains of stability’ and dive into the Unknown. And even though diving into the ‘Unknown’ can be quite disquieting: It’s a path that creatives need to take.

Ever since I wedged a vine with feathers into one of my driftwood ‘Eco Curios’ I’ve been fascinated with this ‘motif.’ Not understanding ‘why’ initially wasn’t all that important as I simply loved making and playing with them. But after a few weeks, the unknown ’why’ DID matter. Till one morning, just as I was waking, I finally ’got it.’

To be continued.
©
2023
  • Alison Lee Cousland

In gratitude to and support of my local sustainable organic farmers market

Photographs

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I am blessed:
To be able to go to a place where I can connect with like minded/hearted and spirited people.

To be able to connect with the people who care for the land and all it produces: Which finds its way to my table.

‘The word blessing evokes a sense of warmth and protection: It suggests that no life is alone or unreachable. Each life is clothed in raiment of spirit that secretly links it to everything else.’ ~John O’Donohue.

I would also like to echo Richard Heinberg’s thoughts on Social Justice/Equality/Ownership: ‘Resilience and sustainability require justice/equality.’

Slide 1. Shopping out-of-doors is so much more relaxing and enjoyable: Stall holders become friends and virtually every basic need from clothing to crystals: food to flowers, can be met.

Slide 2: Just a small sample of some of the products.

Slide 3: Some of the 'icons' at our particular market: Like Rocco on the top left was the son of a man who began selling his own organic vegetables way way back when we first started going to our local Organic Farmer's Market.

Rocco's fame is his range of HOT chilli and curcumin sauces and his son and grandchildren now help him man his stand.
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2023
  • Alison Lee Cousland

Economic Relocalization Art Call. Part 11.

Kombucha SCOBYs and local natural materials

All things in the world are one.

Things that are thought beautiful are considered miraculous and marvellous.
Things that are thought ugly are considered rotten and repulsive.
The truth is that rot and repulsion can transform into miracles and marvels ~ Miracles and marvels into rot and repulsion.

~ Chuang Tzu.
©
2023
  • Alison Lee Cousland

Economic Relocalization Art Call. Part 111.

Kombucha SCOBYs and local natural materials

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You have been built up from nothing by the spare parts of the Earth you have consumed, according to a set of instructions hidden in a double helix and small enough to be carried by a sperm. You are recycled butterflies, plants, rocks, streams, firewood, wolf fur, and shark teeth, broken down to their smallest parts and rebuilt into our planet’s most complex living thing.

You are not living on Earth. You are Earth.’ ~ Aubrey Marcus.

Sustainable Resources.

Since installing the 11:11 sculpture in 2011, the 'notion' of making similar structures with the potential to transmit healing energy has been on hold. While experimenting with the Kombucha material, the 'notion' has surfaced, and I can see how it may be possible now, using ALL natural materials. Like paper and fabric, this Kombucha material can be stitched ~ Which will be the next stage in the making of these (for now) small pieces.
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2023
  • Alison Lee Cousland

Economic Relocalization

Kombucha SCOBYs

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For the past 2 months, I’ve been exploring the possibility of using Kombucha SCOBYs to make Kombucha fabric/paper.

WHY?

I’m seeking materials that are fine and transparent: malleable, reasonably strong and durable: natural and eco friendly: compostable.

WHY?

I installed an environmental sculpture at Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi in 2011. Titled 11:11, its four transparent pillars overlooking the Pacific Ocean celebrated the opening of the Portal of 11:11:11:11:11:11 ~ The 11th sec/min/hour/day/month/year. (See the last slide.)

At the time I wanted to install similar ‘healing’ sculptures on major key lines all over Oz. However after designing, making and installing the first 11:11 sculpture ~ I realised that I needed to find an eco friendly alternative to perspex as the inner structure and resins for the surface ‘orgonite’ spirals.

DISCOVERIES so far.

As a material Kombucha SCOBY is incredibly strong and has such a variety of textures: Can be crinkled and moulded into shape.

However in damp and colder weather it goes quite sticky, especially the thinner pieces. Even firmer thicker pieces that dried really well in hot sun and the dehydrator softened in the colder weather. They hardened again in the sun but then tended to go darker.

THINK LOCAL RESOURCES.

Working with local natural materials in my artwork, I know where every element comes from and that at the end of its lifecycle, it can be safely buried without causing any harm to the Earth.

And I would like to echo Richard Heinberg’s thoughts on going back to a localized economy:

Local economies have deep and ancient roots: They are more resilient and benefit everyone.
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2023
  • Alison Lee Cousland

Grid of Nine

This 'Grid of Nine' shows the Southern Pacific Ocean as it reaches the reefs of Shellharbour with its abundance of healthy marine life including oysters in rockpools and cavities of the reef.
Slides 2: Grid of 4: Stitched pieces.
Slide 3 and 4: Drawing No. 1.
Slide 5 and 6: Drawing No. 2.

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‘The point is not that all economic efficiency is bad, but that the pendulum has recently swung much too far in favor of globalization and centralization, and a rebalancing is in order.’
Richard Heinberg: Building Community Resilience: 'How Globalisation Undermines Resilience.’

Oyster Reefs: Grid of 9.Ephemeral arrangements using natural materials with central stitched pieces and colored pencil drawings, integrated with photographs taken of the land art project at Sydney's Middle Harbour: 'Ecology of Oyster Reefs.’

The small textile squares, inspired by marine life, are surrounded by elements from both Sydney’s Middle Harbour and the reefs at Shell Harbour (100 ks south of Sydney.)

The colored pencil drawings of oyster shells are on semi-transparent drafting film, so they merge with the background image.

The background images: Old worn and empty oyster shells I’d gathered from the murky shoreline of Sydney’s Middle Harbour at Middle Cove, replaced as a ‘trail’ leading up and over part of the reef.
©
2023
  • Alison Lee Cousland

Ecology of Oyster Reefs: Sydney Middle Harbour: No 2.

photographs

Sydney’s Middle Harbour: A beautifully natural and calm haven but perhaps the water is not quite as ‘ecologically friendly’ as it needs to be for Sydney Rock Oysters to thrive as they must have once in this area of the harbour?

This ephemeral art piece was made with worn and empty oyster shells gathered from the mirky shoreline of Sydney’s Middle Harbour at Middle Cove ~ The remnants were replaced as a trail leading up and over part of the reef.

Top left: Along the ridge.
Top right: Down to the bottom and up to the top plateau.
Bottom left: Along the flat plateau.
Bottom right: On the way down again.

‘Perhaps up to 85 percent of shellfish reefs have been lost globally. And so there's a big movement globally to start restoring these oyster reefs.’

'Complete reef restoration with the support of conservation and community groups will still take many years to accomplish: However, the results are already VERY promising.'
~Ozfish.

‘Some challenges are so big that it’s not possible for the community to simply adapt: Fundamental, transformative changes may be necessary.'

And to be sustainable community resilience also: ‘Needs to work for other communities, future generations and the ecosystems on which we all depend.’
~Richard Heinberg: Six Foundations for Building Community Resilience.
©
2022
  • Alison Lee Cousland

Ecology of Oyster Reefs: Sydney Middle Harbour: No 3.

photographs

Old worn and empty oyster shells that hold so much beauty ~ For me: As a trail leading up and over part of the reef.

Top left: Along the track leading down to Middle Cove.
Top right: Shallows lapping the reef.
Centre: Reef ripples.
Bottom left: Boats anchored in Middle Cove.
Bottom right: Sea Gulls on the edge of the reef.

'The Shellfish Revolution’ is the largest community-driven shellfish reef restoration project in Australia. It’s goal is to restore shellfish reefs throughout Australia through community participation and ownership.

Building on their success of the large-scale shellfish restoration already underway in Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay, another project is underway in Geelong’s Corio Bay, focusing on a smaller-scale, community-driven approach.

And Sydney? Not even a whisper, but I’m pretty curious to hear more.

Further reading.

"Ultimately as both individuals and communities: ‘We need courage to confront challenging issues and take responsibility for our collective future." ~Richard Heinberg: Six Foundations for Building Community Resilience.
©
2022
  • Alison Lee Cousland

Ecology of Oyster Reefs: Sydney Middle Harbour: No 1.

photograph

Sydney’s Middle Harbour: A beautifully natural and calm haven but perhaps the water is not quite as ‘ecologically friendly’ as it needs to be for Sydney Rock Oysters to thrive as they must have once in this area of the harbour? A question that I’m still in pursuit of.

This ephemeral art piece was made with some old worn and empty oyster shells that I gathered from the mirky shoreline of Sydney’s Middle Harbour at Middle Cove ~ The beautiful (to my mind) remnants were replaced as a trail leading up and over part of the reef.

In this image the oyster shells can be seen in a single line trailing over a narrow ridge of the reef (right of vertical middle) visually merging with the oyster shell embedded reef.

Further reading about the decline and restoration of Australian Oyster Reefs.

‘The power to envision the future of the community and build its resilience resides with community members.’

‘Because communities and the challenges we face are dynamic, adaptation is an ongoing process.’

~Richard Heinberg: Six Foundations for Building Community Resilience.
©
2022
  • Alison Lee Cousland

The youth of Today and Tomorrow

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Most traditional human societies expended a great deal of effort to provide moral guidance, often through myths and stories, to foster pro-social behavior. When a culture ceases providing this needed educational effort ~ Values of self-restraint and cooperation, empathy and altruism can become seriously eroded. ~Richard Heinberg.

♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎

This piece features my second set of brushes made with all-natural materials: Seed pods, hemp yarn, reused tissue paper, and smoked paper. The charred handles were made from pieces of burnt branches, that I’d found on the ground in the aftermath of bushfires in the Killara bushland in the Garigal National Park.

The text on the burnt paper:

The youth of today came with a code of knowledge that has never existed before on Planet Earth. ~The Only Planet of Choice. Phyllis V. Schlemmer.

Being born into a society that is so alien to what would be their innate connection to the natural energy and beauty of Earth and its relationship to the entire cosmos: The youth of today are either strongly mesmerized by modern technology and must have the latest 'gadgets' or like the Indigo, Rainbow and Chrystal children know they have a totally different purpose to fulfill on Planet Earth.

My work reflects my personal need to nurture and protect the natural world and the consequent adoption of new approaches to art-making that seek an active partnership with nature.

I feel that using natural and discarded materials is such a small act of protest against our throw-away culture, but it’s a step towards making a difference in the world the ‘youth of tomorrow’ will face.
©
2022
  • Alison Lee Cousland

Her eyes: Had been bleeding

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Her eyes: Had been bleeding.
Her mind: Had been fed such stories.
Her strong heart: No longer believed them.
Her still fragile spirit: Longed to re-connect with nature:
And the very real world of fairies and devas:
She had been told they were unreal:
But in her quest to be sovereign:
She knows different. ~Ally.

‘Shifting Cultural Stories’ is a key concept when we try to address the meta-crisis that is unfolding because it points to the cause and not the consequences of all the aspects of the crisis. ~Michele Guieu.

The more we came to live in that artificial reality ~ After being fed a lifetime of stories, like angels and fairies are imaginary and that humans are the center of the Universe, etc ~ The more separate we became from the inherently fascinating realm of nature and community. And it was best just to buy and be entertained by more and more man-made gadgets, so as not to feel the discomfort/pain of being disconnected to Source/Self/Nature) ~Added to original quote by Charles Eisenstein.

I make items such as these shrines and wands mainly from natural, repurposed, and recyclable eco-friendly materials: Art pieces that are made with intent and designed to be given as gifts to friends: Keeping in mind that ‘when their time has come’ they can easily be given back to the earth.

In this series, one of my ’shrines’ has been integrated with my daily ‘pocket finds’ and other little stitched ‘charms’ that I make: Both in the studio and the bush.

Shrine: Inspired by @aimeeirel

Day 9,10,11, 12 and 13 of my 100 Day Project. #100integrationsbyally2022
©
2021
  • Alison Lee Cousland

Grey: Blue: Green

Shrines and wands mainly from natural, repurposed, and recyclable eco-friendly materials

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Grey: Blue: Green: Her eyes: Had been bleeding: Her strong heart: Had been weeping: Her fragile spirit: Pining for a new way to be.

Walking in the rain: Barefoot over the soggy mire Her vision cleared: Her heart celebrated: Her spirit strengthened: As she re-connected to Life. ~Ally.

Consumerism has replaced satisfying experiences of making, growing, repairing, and sharing with the momentary buzz of buying a new manufactured product. We need to reverse that bargain. ~Richard Heinberg.

And from Charles Eisenstein: The more we came to live in that artificial reality (story), the more separate we became from the inherently fascinating realm of nature and community. Today, we apply further technology to relieve the boredom that results from our immersion in a world of technology. We call it ‘entertainment.’

Our craving for ‘entertainment’ points to the impoverishment of our reality ‘story’ and the removal from our self and the real world.

♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎

I make items such as these shrines and wands mainly from natural, repurposed, and recyclable eco-friendly materials: Art pieces that are made with intent and designed to be given as gifts to friends: Keeping in mind that ‘when their time has come’ they can easily be given back to the earth.

In this series, one of my ’shrines’ has been integrated with my daily ‘pocket finds’ and other little stitched ‘charms’ that I make: Both in-studio and bush.

Shrine: Inspired by Aimee Bishop.

Day 5, 6, 7, and 8 of my 100 Day Project. #100integrationsbyally2022
©
2021
  • Alison Lee Cousland

Ephemeral Art Celebrating Smallness


Symbiosis Relationships in Nature
Mosses and Lichens, Flannel Flowers and Flax Lily seeds

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Ephemeral Art Celebrating Smallness Symbiosis Relationships in Nature Mosses and Lichens, Flannel Flowers and Flax Lily seeds ‘Lichens have no roots, no leaves, no flowers. They thrive in places where there is no soil and settle on granite. Lichens blur the definition of what it is to be an individual because they are not one being, but two: A fungus and an algae. Different as can be, yet they are joined in a symbiosis so close that their union becomes a whole new organism. It is like a marriage, where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. The balance of giving and taking is dynamic, the roles of giver and taker shifting from moment to moment. Their shared lives benefit the whole ecosystem.’ ~Robin Wall Kimmerer: Braiding Sweetgrass. ‘Fungi are eating rock, making soil, digesting pollutants, nourishing and killing plants, surviving in space, inducing visions, producing food, making medicines, manipulating animal behavior, and influencing the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere.’ ~Merlin Sheldrake. Entangled Life. ‘There is an ancient conversation going on between mosses and rocks. About light and shadow and the drift of continents. This is what has been called the dialectic of moss on stone: An interface of immensity and minuteness, of past and present, softness and hardness, stillness and vibrancy, yin and yang.' ~Robin Wall Kimmerer. Gathering Moss.
©
2021
  • Alison Lee Cousland

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