Original, etched, dry point print, hand painted with water color and hand lettered. (9.00 x 30.00 in or 75.20 x 23.50 cm) Edition of 5, signed, dated and numbered. $90 or €80 plus shipping.

CONTACT:

nadia@nadiakhangallery

+34 634 55 8689

A sneak preview of my new book!

It’s a jungle out there, tucked away in the foothills of the Andes. One of South America’s largest terrestrial birds has jumped onto the roof of a house! It’s a curious behavior as we truly don’t know why he does this. We can come up with many scenarios! Why do you think the chuña does this? Let’s look at animals as animals. We may not understand everything they do. Take pleasure in the wonder, mystery and fascination of nature in its pure form. This is just one of the many animals that live in the yungas of Argentina! Check out Tales From The Yungas so see more…

The sound of summer, the sound of the cicada or the chicharra as they are called here in Argentina. They are among the loudest of all insects. So much so that one can almost not have a conversation once the sun goes down and they start their mating call. A cicada spends the first part of its life underground feeding off of tree roots. Depending on the type of cicada this can be anywhere between 2 and 17 years! They then emerge from the ground and begin a short lived mating period in comparison to their subterranean stage.

The arrangements I created are comprised of wings gathered from dead cicadas. The wings are like transparent tissue paper perfectly partitioned creating an almost stained glass effect! It’s no wonder these almost fantastical insects have shown up in literature since the works of Homer’s Illiad as well as in folklore and mythologies from around the world. In Chinese tradition they symbolize immortality and rebirth. Much respect for nature’s fine art.

One after the other I stumble upon these works of art varying completely in style and composition. When the river grows after a big rain it carries these rocks and shuffles them randomly along the river beds. So much more beautiful because they are together and they are different. This holds true for us as well…

This is a video showing the creation and installation of one of my window films. Brighten up the atmosphere of your habitat with colors, patterns and custom designs! Provide privacy, insulation and UV protection for your bathroom windows, door sidelights, transom windows or any other window! Compared to stained glass these window films allow for any design, are affordable and can be easily installed and changed.

Relative of the cinnamon tree and part of the lauraceae or laurel family, these are leaves from a, cinnamomum porphyrium. This is one of 250 known species in this family! I scooped this foliage out as they were floating down the ‘arroyo Griton’ just bordering our land.

Dolichandra unguis-cati, a climbing vine native to South America which boasts a beautiful yellow ‘trumpet like’ flower. Every pod with a unique curve and twist eventually dispersing up to 200 seeds each! We gathered the already opened tubers from a trail by our house for this composition.

I wander through the trails where plants grow from above and below. Trees entangled in assorted shades of green. Backlit by the sun’s rays, I stumble upon an epiphytic fern with its leaves standing bright and poised. I get a closer look and the intricate pattern reveals itself. Its name, Microgramma mortoniana. Its beauty, Byzantine.

Often, my kids spark the creativity in me. With such a pure and free approach to anything that they do, I follow their lead like a student. They remind me of how limited and structured we become as we feel the pressure to fit the mold of what is expected. Which, reminds me of how important it is to nurture their innate behavior where imagination and curiosity thrive. May we give them the space to challenge assumptions, maintain diversity of thought over conformity and learn through experimentation….And may we follow their lead.

Together with my kids we decorated the barcos to give them ‘life’!

Endless creative opportunities with this recent find. Amphilophium paniculatum is the scientific name of the ligneous vine bearing this beautiful seed pod. Here the local kids call them ‘barquitos’ which means ‘little boats’ as they float in the water. Once the pods dry up about 100 seeds per pod are dispersed to start all over again! Still so much to discover here in the jungle!

This composition is made up of seeds gathered from the native trees and plants around the reserve. Arranged on a table of thick white slate, these potential offsprings lie. In order to open the pods you need a rock or a hammer. Designed for survival and to withstand all the elements. I look to nature as my example.

Nature is my catalyst for creativity. Alone, the lichen covered stone is a masterpiece. Then, I add some filters, manipulate it a bit and you have a mysterious image. A satellite image of land, lakes, and vegetation on Earth? An image from NASA of an exoplanet? Caribbean beaches pocked with orange umbrellas? What do you see? What an intricate texture for a piece of stained glass or a dope pattern for a pair of leggings!