Seed Piece - michele théberge

Seed Piece

2007 | pins, watercolor on paper, performative installation | 90 x 90 in (228.6 x 228.6 cm) | Lisa Coscino Gallery | Pacific Grove, CA

Over a period of two years, I painted over 700 watercolor “seeds” on paper.
I sent an email invitation to hundreds of people around the world inviting them to boil down their desires for themselves and others into their truest essence. I compiled these wishes and intentions and over three days in the gallery I pinned seeds to the wall while voicing a wish for each seed.

Everything in our environment, everything that we create, starts as a simple thought or intention. Every book, building, car, chair, piece of music, garden and loaf of bread began its life as someone’s thought. My intent with this work is to assist others in connecting with the true essence of their dreams and wishes as a step to more clearly create them in reality.

This piece grew out of my meditation practice. I sought to cultivate a quiet, meditative state as I tore paper and mixed my colors, slowly applying multiple washes for luminosity. While I am not a Buddhist, many of the seeds were created during a brief stay at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center at Muir Beach, California so as to absorb the mindful atmosphere of that community and incorporate it into the piece.