With deep appreciation to the Greater Columbus Arts Council, Columbus Mayor Ginther, and Franklin County Commissioners, I have been able to spend the past year working exclusively in encaustics on a project inspired by Carl Sagan’s essay, “Pale Blue Dot.” In that work, Sagan urged us to cherish and preserve Earth, “the only world so far to harbor life.” Using that as a springboard, and with supplies purchased with the help of the GCAC grant, I began researching the causes and effects of climate change and visually interpretating those findings. I’m not going to lie, experimenting with the medium to gain an in-depth understanding of its limits, then pushing past those seeming boundaries, has been a struggle. Cradle board panel after failed panel and setback after setback was discouraging, even depressing. By persevering and discovering new techniques I finally began creating the work I had envisioned. There are vast and dangerous changes taking place on our pale blue dot. From large scale photographs by NASA satellites as well as scientific studies, the transformation over a brief time is undeniable. It’s time to renew our resolve to care for “the only home we’ve ever known.”
Click here to read “The Pale Blue Dot” by Carl Sagan:
https://genius.com/Carl-sagan-a-pale-blue-dot-annotated