Dana Henry Martin

Dogs

  • My Dog, My Hands, My Buttery Butter-Stick Fingers

    I know when my dog, Lexi, is happy. I know when she’s sad. I know when she wants to be… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    7–11 minutes

  • Lexi the Healer

    To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    2–3 minutes

  • Telling Lexi’s Story

    If you meet me when I’m with my dog, Lexi, chances are you’re going to hear her story. The story… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    4–6 minutes

  • Lexi

    A few weeks before Thanksgiving, a couple surrendered three small dogs to a rescue where I volunteered. One of them… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    7–10 minutes

  • The Measure of a Breath

    Two days ago, we learned that Hayden, our beloved chihuahua, has kidney damage. There are things we can do to… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    2–4 minutes

  • Cold Sun

    The cold sun of fall woke me early. I’m thankful for that. Sometimes I believe I can do more waking… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    4–6 minutes

  • Lame Skills and Dreams and Being and Doing (and My Dog, Hayden)

    I am sitting here, staring at my screen. My dog, Hayden, snores at my feet in her puppy bed, which… Read more.

    Dana Henry Martin
    7–11 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.