The Color and Canopy of May

 

     Even with a late start, we still had plenty of light to guide us through much of the Silent Walk. The noticeable differences since April were twofold. First, the trees had fully leafed out, creating corridors of deep green filtered with the slanting red light of the sunset. Their shadows darkened the forest path, adding a sense of privacy within the canopy. Each time we emerged from the trees the light had changed--from the clarity of a late spring evening to the softened ember glow of sunset to the lost contours of darkness.

     The other noticeable difference signaled changes outside the forest. The coming holiday weekend and the long awaited opportunity for people to travel added airplane and road traffic to the evening sounds. Lucky for us, the frogs, birds and insects made themselves heard.

 

     Thank you to everyone who came out tonight! 

Our walking with deliberate attention to all the forest offers is where the art happens. 

 

     Several participants shared written comments, included below. Thanks to our photographers, Thom and Abby Munterich. Click on a photo to enlarge. 

 

The photographs and videos provide a reminder of what it was like, but nothing compares to being there! Please join us for the final Silent Walk on June 24. Registration is through the Black Rock Forest events page.

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 It felt like a meditation and altered my consciousness.  Everything became a work of art, and I loved watching the colors shift and change in the sky.

 

I'll take evening bird and frog song over keening of trains any day----soothes the soul.

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Profound Experience! Shimmering, perceptual magic!

Sounds and silence

Observing nature in silence was beautiful and peaceful

peaceful  meditative  magical   transition  memories

The most stunning visuals appear dead even though they held the most life

How do you paint a sound? The pink in the sky mirrored in the spillway, like the silence made me see what I wouldn't otherwise see.

I wonder what happened to the duck that walked down the spillway with the other standing guard?

The sounds were amazing! For me, not talking made me see less and hear more.

There is no single haiku

to express the joy

of the wonder of nature

Every hike is unique! This time I saw Venus come into view over the upper reservoir.

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When the birdsong stopped, the frog-song started!

 

millipede season

 Thanks to the staff of Black Rock Forest for their support of the Silent Walks, especially Brienne Cliadakis, Suzanne Vondrak, Aaron Culotta, and Matt Brady. Support BRF by becoming a member!

 

Interested in what else I have been doing during this residency? Please join me for a virtual Artist's Talk on June 22 at 1pm. Sign up through the Black Rock Forest events page.

 

June 29th, 2009 the First Silent Walk

We were a small group of old and new friends.


We walked in silence to the view and back. Before leaving, each walker wrote about the experience. They could write just a few words if they wanted. These comments follow.

Just looking, listening and feeling the wind. Trying not to let my mind wander.

Group dynamic, rhythm of footsteps, light, wind, bugs.

Tuning into a earth without gadgets.

Humid, buggy, dark blue sky, one bird, 100 shades of green.


Thoughts and no thoughts, low sunlight, dog, same twig.

Interesting experience. Not what I expected exactly. I expected to be more aware of my surroundings, which I was, but I also became acutely aware of the movements and body language of the individuals in the group - the rhythms and sounds of their walking. We relied on our visual cues to stay together. I sometimes felt like I was passing through the space unseen. At moments I felt like a tracker. There were a lot of gnats that normally I would have complained about. It was nice not to complain or listen to others complain. It was a beautifully lit evening with dramatic clouds. Looking forward to the next hike.

When we returned, we shared how it felt. One person had tried to see the Hudson River without any buildings to get an idea of how it might have looked when Henry Hudson first sailed it. What would the ship have looked like to a native standing here? Another person said it was hard not to think about work. She had to make an effort to "be here now." Another walker found great comfort in being released from the burden of small talk. Personally, not talking felt very unnatural to me at first. It was hard! By the end, though, I was remembering times when I had wished for silence when in loud company. I was thankful I hadn't ruined anyone's walk with silly, obvious observations. We regrouped at 2Alice's for the reception and further discussion.