Artist Statement: The Living Earth Snowberry and Wintergreen

The Earth holds the memories of all lives lived since the beginning of time, stored in the soil beneath our feet. Every song, every emotion and every word spoken leaves a shadow behind, marking its place in the never-ending passage of years.
These shadows, these ghostly footprints of time-passing, are either the good energy or the bad of lives lived. They are our memories interwoven with the other lives we shared, whether equal in purpose with ours or alone in intent, but always in a struggle of balanced stewardship.
This timeless collecting of memories is the Earth's reminder to us that we are more of a burden to her than a benefit. She turns the wheel of time with the tips of her fingers, so each life lived is kept alive, yet each life is a ghost, following behind us like a small breeze. In the dark of night they become whispers, child-like songs that cling to our very souls. The beauty of the Earth is the greatest gift we have been given. It is the path we all travel.

Snowberry
The snowberry is an evergreen plant that has a wintergreen fragrance. It lies close to the ground in coniferous forests, blending in with decomposing wood and moss covered rocks. I have often found them in old stands of maple. The leaves of this plant can be used year-round for a tea, and the translucent white berries can be cooked or used as an additive. However, a single plant produces only a few berries.

Wintergreen
The wintergreen plant is quite small, but very easy to spot in the forest. While thicker than those of most small plants, its leaves are a beautiful dark, shiny green and can be chewed as you hike. They have a pleasant wintergreen taste. The leaves make good tea or a savoury addition to a salad. The berries are edible but as with the snowberry, they are not found in large numbers. Wintergreen leaves are great as a breath mint.

$290.00 CDN

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