on the journey

Hello friends,
sorry for neglecting you. Seems I´m holding distance to the Internet at the moment. Not for special reason, it´s only that I don´t feel THAT addiction to the cyberspace at the moment.

I´m going on with my organic journey, doing research for natural materials, ordering swatches from further organic fabrics and searching for an alternative for the man-made polyfill stuffing. I came across an interesting material -> Kapok. Kapok fibre is extracted from the seedpod of the kapok tree. The material is removed by hand, dried and separated from the seeds. Worldwide Kapok was very popular as a filling for life-vests, pillows, mattresses etc. until the 1950s. After that it was replaced by foam and synthetics for easier manufacturing.
The fibre is an interesting naturally silky cotton-like material but even softer, it´s also VERY lightweight, non-allergic, non-toxic, resistant to rot and odorless.
So I gave Kapok a try and ordered 10 kg of this silky material. I can tell you it´s not easy to work with this fluffy fibre - it is full of air and wants to float and really makes a mess. But anyway - I love it.
And this is the very first inside and outside organic viking (no. 27).
Unfortunately organic materials are still higher in price than non-organic pendants, but I think it´s worth it. Love the idea of guerilla gardening. Read here the instruction how to make seed balls (found through Keri Smith)

a quote that made me think and I like to share with you:

All landscapes ask the same question: "I´m watching you - are you watching yourself in me?" -Lawrence Durrell

take care, Friederike!

new path - new love

thanks to Sheree and Martje I´m breaking new ground. I´m exploring the world of organic fabrics. Textiles that are made of natural grown cotton, without dangerous chemicals and pesticids and using low-impact water-based printing.

new herzensart organic series:

viking no.24 and angel no.17 are made from wonderful soft natural grown organic cotton (Qualitex , Germany), organic flannel (Anita Pavani, Germany) and beautiful organic patterend fabrics (Harmonyart, USA & Organic Cotton, UK). I´m only at the very beginning of my new journey, but it feels good... green greetings, Friederike!

back again

[post by Sandra] a few days in Bavaria lie behind me, spending intensive time with my family, trying to suck in wonderful little moments, when my grandmother suddenly starts to sing songs of yesteryear, followed by a fit of laughter, walks with my brother and his dog by the beautiful Danube landscape, my mother cooking for me and playing the do-you-remember-who-I-am-and-which-day-do-we-have-today-"games" with my father. Being with my family means also being confronted with a lot of illness and also demands the planning of your time with each part of the divoreced parents.
Now I´m home again, full of impressions, full of talks, full of emotions - sleepless - trying to handle this "overload". Working at home can be a quiet thing, it can raise an addiction to silence.
Lying awake in my bed tonight, I decided to get up at 4 o´clock in the morning and to watch the DVD "Die grosse Stille" (English title "into great silence") in the hope this film would have a soothing impact on my restless brain. And it did. Here is what the film is about

Nestled deep in the postcard-perfect French Alps, the Grande Chartreuse is considered one of the world s most ascetic monasteries. In 1984, German filmmaker Philip Gröning wrote to the Carthusian order for permission to make a documentary about them. They said they would get back to him. Sixteen years later, they were ready. Gröning, sans crew or artificial lighting, lived in the monks quarters for six months filming their daily prayers, tasks, rituals and rare outdoor excursions. This transcendent, closely observed film seeks to embody a monastery, rather than simply depict one it has no score, no voiceover and no archival footage. What remains is stunningly elemental: time, space and light. One of the most mesmerizing and poetic chronicles of spirituality ever created, INTO GREAT SILENCE dissolves the border between screen and audience with a total immersion into the hush of monastic life. More meditation than documentary, it s a rare, transformative experience for all.

Now it´s 8 o´clock in the morning, I sit at my laptop with a second cup of coffee, writing these lines. I will end now to watch and feel all the soft swatches of organic fabrics Martje from the Netherlands sent me and see if I get inspiration for new herzensart creations. Slowly I immerese myself again into my silent artist life.