by Natalie Farmer, Richmond, VA
My husband and I were making a move to “somewhere” after many years in the desert. Our #1 criteria? Somewhere where there is water in the riverbed. You see, in Phoenix, the river beds are almost always dry. The Salt River runs through the Valley of the Sun, but has no water. On our first visit to Richmond, we spied the James from the plane and our hearts leapt. There it is! After 10 years in this beautiful area, I am still thrilled every time I visit the river, even time I cross a bridge, kayak, hike along the banks or the pipeline, cross with the ferry… I could go on and on.
I am an artist. My work is all about recycling. Keeping trash out of the landfills and waterways. I created this piece, “Water, Water, Everywhere…” with the James in mind. It is created entirely out of upcycled junk mail, Christmas cards and left over glass and plastic. There is constant movement in the “waves” and the colors reflect the colors of the river in blues, greens and browns. The glass and plastic “bubbles” reflect the glint of the sun on the river!
This artwork will be shown during “Watershed:” Artspace 2022 Members’ Biennial.
Water themed artwork as part of Artspace’s collaboration with the James River Association. Exhibition Dates: November 11 – December 17, 2022