Glimmer (Way of a Turtle: Wisdom + Harmony + Peace)
Glimmer (Way of a Turtle: Wisdom + Harmony + Peace)
2024
18” H x 24” W x 6” D
Photographic woven tapestry, fabric, thread, wooden base
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GLIMMER Exhibition
The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas
August 22 - January 10, 2025
Glimmer welcomes the viewer into an immersive tapestry garden brimming with life-size flowers and chromatic color; an invitation to come close to nature, slow down and be present.
Each garden tapestry depicts the luminescent light seen in the sky during a specific time of day.
Using a highly keyed color palette and human-scaled flowers, guests are led through the garden over a 24-hour period: DAWN, DAY, DUSK & NOCTURNE; to experience how different times of day with shifting light and color might also quietly transform their feelings, perception and emotional state.
A GLIMMER
The term glimmer holds a dual meaning and guides the garden concept.
From clinical psychology and trauma healing, a “glimmer” is a tool to use when a person feels anxious, triggered or stressed.
This simple technique begins with thinking about or recalling a memory of a beautiful, safe, calm and specific place, time, or positive experience, such as a walk at the park, being with a friend, a favorite pet, etc.
In the “remembering of the good”, our nervous system regulates and quiets down. Practicing a “glimmer” is a powerful key to self-soothing, cultivating a more positive range of emotions, inner peace and healing.
Glimmer also refers to light, as “a small amount; barely there; a wavering glow as seen in the sky”, such as the morning glimmer of dawn or end-of-day light. Symbolically, it represents a glimmer of hope.
In this garden installation, the entire gallery is designed to serve as an immersive glimmer - a "place of remembrance" that can be recalled when stress or anxiety arises.
By planting seeds of well-being, healing, connection and hope, the experience also aims to cultivate a bond between the community and natural environment.
GLIMMER & THE PSYCHOLOGY OF COLOR
Within the exhibit, the vivid background colors, selected from the artist’s reference photos, were chosen to represent the ever-changing light in the sky and to evoke specific moods and atmospheres, referencing ideas from color therapy or chromotherapy, where color and light are used to support emotions and promote wellbeing.
As seen in the tapestries, YELLOW is known to uplift mood and energize, while different shades of BLUE can have a calming, restorative effect.
PEACH tones can promote feelings of warmth, relaxation and belonging; PURPLE / VIOLET inspires creativity, introspection and deeper connection.
BLACK provides a sense of grounding, strength and protection, and PINK, associated with compassion, nurturing and love, creates a reassuring environment.
ECO-HEALING and THE GARDEN
Eco-healing studies the therapeutic benefits of spending time in nature, demonstrating how natural environments can significantly elevate and enhance well-being.
Specific to gardens, spending time among flowers has been shown to reduce stress and promote relaxation by lowering cortisol levels and decreasing heart rate while reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Flowers have been shown to have an immediate impact on happiness, while in the long-term, a sustained positive effect on mood and increased feelings of life satisfaction.
Flower exposure also releases dopamine and serotonin, both neurotransmitters associated with pleasure and positive emotions.
2024
18” H x 24” W x 6” D
Photographic woven tapestry, fabric, thread, wooden base
-
GLIMMER Exhibition
The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas
August 22 - January 10, 2025
Glimmer welcomes the viewer into an immersive tapestry garden brimming with life-size flowers and chromatic color; an invitation to come close to nature, slow down and be present.
Each garden tapestry depicts the luminescent light seen in the sky during a specific time of day.
Using a highly keyed color palette and human-scaled flowers, guests are led through the garden over a 24-hour period: DAWN, DAY, DUSK & NOCTURNE; to experience how different times of day with shifting light and color might also quietly transform their feelings, perception and emotional state.
A GLIMMER
The term glimmer holds a dual meaning and guides the garden concept.
From clinical psychology and trauma healing, a “glimmer” is a tool to use when a person feels anxious, triggered or stressed.
This simple technique begins with thinking about or recalling a memory of a beautiful, safe, calm and specific place, time, or positive experience, such as a walk at the park, being with a friend, a favorite pet, etc.
In the “remembering of the good”, our nervous system regulates and quiets down. Practicing a “glimmer” is a powerful key to self-soothing, cultivating a more positive range of emotions, inner peace and healing.
Glimmer also refers to light, as “a small amount; barely there; a wavering glow as seen in the sky”, such as the morning glimmer of dawn or end-of-day light. Symbolically, it represents a glimmer of hope.
In this garden installation, the entire gallery is designed to serve as an immersive glimmer - a "place of remembrance" that can be recalled when stress or anxiety arises.
By planting seeds of well-being, healing, connection and hope, the experience also aims to cultivate a bond between the community and natural environment.
GLIMMER & THE PSYCHOLOGY OF COLOR
Within the exhibit, the vivid background colors, selected from the artist’s reference photos, were chosen to represent the ever-changing light in the sky and to evoke specific moods and atmospheres, referencing ideas from color therapy or chromotherapy, where color and light are used to support emotions and promote wellbeing.
As seen in the tapestries, YELLOW is known to uplift mood and energize, while different shades of BLUE can have a calming, restorative effect.
PEACH tones can promote feelings of warmth, relaxation and belonging; PURPLE / VIOLET inspires creativity, introspection and deeper connection.
BLACK provides a sense of grounding, strength and protection, and PINK, associated with compassion, nurturing and love, creates a reassuring environment.
ECO-HEALING and THE GARDEN
Eco-healing studies the therapeutic benefits of spending time in nature, demonstrating how natural environments can significantly elevate and enhance well-being.
Specific to gardens, spending time among flowers has been shown to reduce stress and promote relaxation by lowering cortisol levels and decreasing heart rate while reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Flowers have been shown to have an immediate impact on happiness, while in the long-term, a sustained positive effect on mood and increased feelings of life satisfaction.
Flower exposure also releases dopamine and serotonin, both neurotransmitters associated with pleasure and positive emotions.