Dana Henry Martin

Ephemera

  • Because I Have Suffered

    The birds are turning into flowers. For Easter, I’m hiding peanuts around the yard for the birds. Northern flicker: The… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    6–9 minutes

  • Geometry

    I found a heronry today near my home. Birds froze to things last night: utility lines, branches, feeders. They left… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Bird Blind

    Even after I forget who I am, I think I will remember birds. A feather floats to the ground. Whose?… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • A World of Wounds

    I enjoy feeding the birds. A murmuration of starlings buzzed the cars on I-35 today. The female northern flicker appears… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Light-Catchers

    A staircase of shelf fungus scales the side of a hawthorn tree. All around me, the ground undulates. Robins shovel… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • The Lake of the Morning

    A therapist told me that EMDR changes the brain without conscious effort. Guess what else does that? The earth. Go… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Road Ends in Water

    The snow is frosting sprinkled with nyjer seed. Geese fly by so low I’m afraid they’ll get snagged on the… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Vellum

    First snow, first junco tracks. A spot of clean ground. This is where the rabbit laid while snow fell. Sapphire… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Cabinet of Curiosities

    My neighbor’s back porch looks like a cabinet of curiosities. Note from an eBird user: American tree sparrow seen near… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

  • Brambled

    You do your thing. I’ll watch birds. Life is like being held hostage by someone I don’t want to leave.… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    1–2 minutes

PROCESS

  • Map and Research: Investigate the historical, geological, and ecological context of each collection site or reverse the direction, mapping sites based on ancestral and historical narratives.
  • Forage: Gather natural materials ethically, respectfully, and with permission.
  • Transform: Process foraged materials into custom mediums and physical resources for art-making.
  • Weave: Track the stories held within the land, braiding personal, ancestral, and ecological histories.
  • Create: Generate studies and finished artwork informed by the sites and physically composed of the materials collected.

  • Limits: Not all sites will be safe or accessible, which means some spaces cannot be entered, and some stories will remain incomplete. An empty container can signify these omissions.

purpose

ethics

Responsible Exploration: Committing to mindful presence, permission-based foraging, and minimal-impact exploration on every site.

Meaning

Embodied Storytelling: Engaging in sensory, place-based creation that connects the maker and viewer to the specific location and to the physical earth.

Reclamation: Unearthing and honoring lost, fractured, or overlooked histories embedded in the landscape.

Material Transformation: Celebrating the alchemy of turning raw, gathered earth into tangible, expressive art.

community

Public Education: Sharing the ecological and historical narratives of the sites to foster a deeper collective awareness.

Active Participation: Creating opportunities for community participation, engagement, and shared connection through the work.