FINAL PROJECT: Live through the Elements

My final project was sort of a last minute decision, and it is a combination of photography and Earth Art...It was not permanent as a whole because the candle was not something I could leave behind and my foot is obviously attached to me...  I will post a couple photos and explain as I go...


The Set-up

 This is the photo of the setup to make sure everything would be in frame as I wanted it.  My dad joined to photograph since my foot was part of the piece.  As you can see, there is a baggy of leaves--my dad and I collected fall leaves to use as "Earth" in my Elements project.  I wanted to incorporate Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water, which is why I did my project at Pony Pastures on the James River.  As you can see, the photos were done in front of the dam, where the waterfall runs...


Shot #1


The photo to the right shows the Water in the background with a Vigil candle (Fire) to the right and the Wind blown leaves (Earth) on my foot.  My LiveStrong tattoo was meant to tie my project together.  In the past month, several people I know have passed away, including one of my former students from when I was a student teacher at my high school.  That incident really made me think of how precious life is, and it started the wheels turning for my project.  My original concept had to do with life symbols, but I didnt want to be too cliche...and while perhaps you think having LiveStrong tattooed on my foot is also cliche..

               I dropped leaves when the wind blew in order to get more of a wind element...

My tattoo is representative of several things.  First and foremost, it is for my Uncle Frank, who passed away 2 years ago from Head and Neck cancer at the age of 64.  He was  a big fan of the LiveStrong Foundation and a big part of my life.  He died at home, with my family around him, myself included.  In the minutes after he died, we put his LiveStrong t-shirt on him and started talking..I made a comment about getting LiveStrong tattooed on me and my aunts and sister said they would do the same in his honor/memory...I ended up getting the tattoo about a year ago, when events in my personal life put me in a pretty dark place.  I wasn't suicidal, but I was in a place where I really didn't care if I lived or died...I decided to go skydiving in an attempt to get my head in the right place (I am terrified of flying and heights), and 2 weeks later got this tattoo.  It reminds me everyday that I need to be strong no matter what life throws my way and it also does not allow me to forget my uncle, who would have been 66 yesterday (Oct. 30).

Instead of lighting a real fire, I lit a vigil candle in memory of my uncle, my student Sam, and my good friend's father, and all those who have left our world for another...The elements (Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water) are representative of all of the struggles life may throw our way, and again, the tattoo ties it all together as a reminder of what we should do to make it through.

My dad, the photographer and pack mule...lol