Little Matters

a steward to the small

I find myself returning, time and again, to working very small. Ultimately, it is the metaphor that the little things matter that keeps me coming back. Sometimes I wonder if it’s a blessing or a curse to care about the details - to see life in the micro. Don’t sweat the small stuff, I’m told.

Earlier this year, the Alberta Craft Council put out a call for artworks exploring the theme of Minutiae so I delighted in the opportunity to dive into this value of mine. Minutiae, for me, is a commentary on what we name as trivial, naming the often overlooked details as worthy instead. What if it all truly does matter? What if it is in the caring for the little things - when we get up close and pay attention - that empowers us to make a big difference?

When I ask myself if I have gotten lost in the weeds or if I’m just making life harder the whisper keeps calling: little, matters. I feel a responsibility to be a good steward to all that my heart sees. I’m trying to find a way to care without being consumed with it, or to carry it all as my personal burden, as well as decoupling it from perfection. And while I continue to fumble: little, still matters. So, I keep creating little matters.

In this particular series, gathered fallen branches (in various stages of decay) house tiny scenes of areas I've explored all over my Canadian province of Alberta. Inside a carefully carved out cavity contains a layered collage incorporating dried plant life with paper, ink and paint. Each piece uses material that would be found within the terrain but whose details cannot be seen from afar.  Pieces of wasp nest on rocky cliffs, birch bark for creek pebbles, yarrow and wild rose leaves amid rolling hills - almost hidden until you peer more intently into each burrow.

Naturally, every person who takes in the artwork will see something different in these miniature landscapes. In so doing, no detail is rendered insignificant even if overlooked by someone else. None of us can notice it all, care about it all, carry it all or repair it all. But with our collective consciousness tuned to the minutiae, declaring what we notice as valuable, I am convinced we will better nurture our interconnection, becoming more thoughtful in our relationship to each other and our planet.

I wonder what you see?