My piece at the end of the workshop...

Done using grid method

"Opinions"

The sculptor etches away

Creating this masterpiece he has in mind,

And so we too etch at ourselves, at the end of the day

Hoping to reveal our real humankind.

How honest can you really be?

Knowing only the truth will set you free.

There are days when I think it’s my last

But somehow they usually past.

On this journey we call life

We all have our own share of strife.

This somehow jolts us into reality

Where we sometimes find true tranquillity unexpectedly

Serendipity...

Life sure is full of unexpected twists and turns,

Sometimes you wonder why things happen

At the time it all seems pointless

But when things eventually fall into place

Then it all begins to make sense

© Denise Etienne

Feel

Close your eyes and listen to the wind.

As it dances through the leaves. 

Filling your heart with utmost joy, in its simplicity.

Feel it caressing your skin.  

Comforting, counseling and healing your soul.

© Denise Etienne

Naturalist notes: Trees

I have always had a passion for nature. It brings me a sense of calm, reason and wholeness. For the last fifteen years of my life, I have had the privilege of sharing my knowledge and love for the environment with others, which I believe in my heart of hearts to be one of my vocations.

Today I want to talk on behalf of the trees and plants. Some of you may have an area at home, which you have been trying to clean up for the longest time. You have good reasons why the bushes need to be removed - it is getting to tall, or it is too hard to maintain, or just simply there are too many leaves on the ground. Do you know that the trees and plants are responsible for keeping us alive? They help supply our daily needs.

Stop for a moment and take a deep breath. Where did the oxygen you just breathed come from? Do you think that it exist in the air naturally? Trees and plants make their own food through a process called photosynthesis, during which they take in carbon dioxide from the air, water and nutrients from the soil and release oxygen into the atmosphere. This process is powered by the energy of sunlight, which is trapped by chlorophyll, the green pigment in the leaves.

What did you have for breakfast this morning? What are you planning to have for lunch, or dinner tonight? Think of that juicy hamburger. How about that lovely slice of pizza? Or, as you know, we are a nation that “runs on KFC”! From where does most of our food originate? Have you figured it out as yet? Yes, it all traces right back to our green friends, the plants! For example, the burger patty is made from beef, beef comes from cows and cows eat grass.

You know how we love to look at television, or how we like to entertain our friends and family members in our homes. I know you may be thinking - so what does this have to do with the trees and plants? Well, how do we accommodate people in our homes? We must provide furniture e.g. couches, chair, tables, space savers and beds. As a matter of fact, some of our homes are made from the trees!

These names should ring a bell among some of you, if not, ask someone from the older generation - Vervine, Fever grass, Bois Canot, Shinning bush, Chandelier, Zeb a peak, Wonder of the world, Christmas bush. So what do these bushes all have in common? Each has some bit of medicinal value to it, for example, from healing an ear-ache, to reducing a swelling or a fever, to helping with coughs and colds, or simply making a good tea. I am sure some of you may have heard bush medicine stories from the good old days.

We are still in the rainy season and there are a number of areas that are prone to flooding. Trees can help to prevent flooding since trees help to absorb a lot of the water and their roots help prevent soil erosion.

Trees are the homes to countless species of animals, some of which are becoming extinct as we speak because their habitats are being destroyed.

So the next time you want to chop that tree or cut down the plants, please remember all the great things trees provide for us. Too often we are all guilty of taking things for granted, especially the simplest and most important things around us.  Hopefully one day we will learn to be thankful for everything since they all have special roles to play in the environment.   

Be good!

© Denise Etienne

Naturalist notes: The beginning…

I have always had a passion for nature. It brings me a sense of calm, reason and wholeness. For the last fifteen years of my life, I have had the privilege of sharing my knowledge and love for the environment with others, which I believe in my heart of hearts to be one of my vocations. My Naturalists notes will be geared towards all ages. I am influenced by the fact that I usually teach a variety of ages, hence my style of writing! I will be posting these on Wednesdays, and I look forward to your comments...

~ Denise Etienne

Tomorrow...

Tomorrow is a new day

Full of hopes, dreams and expectations

It knows no limitations

Only unfolding itself as a mystery

Be good!

D

“Sexy Pink”

Heliconia Chartacea or Sexy Pink

This one of my favorite species of Heliconias, it is locally know as Sexy Pink, I think you can see why ;) The bright pink parts are modified leaves known as bracts, on the underside are found the flowers which are green in color and well hidden. Their pollinators are a group of Hummingbirds called Hermits, they have long and curved beaks which are well adapted for probing into the curved flowers.  Heliconias are related to Bananas. 

Connections...

The sun warms my soul

The rain washes away my pain
The breeze soothes my racing mind
The flower adds essence to my very being
The touch heals my wounded heart

© Denise Etienne

Scarlet Ibis

Swamps are the habitats in which I live 
Crustaceans are what I eat 
Allowing me this brilliant 
Radiant red plumage
Long ago they would hunt and eat me
Expensively were my feathers sold
Today, I am a spectacular tourist attraction


Indeed the National Bird of this cosmopolitan island
By law in Trinidad
I am protected and considered endangered 
So take some time and go look for me in Caroni


© Denise Etienne


This is an acrostic poem that I wrote on the Scarlet Ibis, which is the National bird of Trinidad. I am working on a book with friend of mine, Beatrice Bork, a talented animal artist. The book will be a compilation of her watercolors and my poems.

She...

She is untamed, never been conquered

She rules her own world

She is the master of herself

She writes her own destiny

She is indeed a woman

© Denise Etienne, 2010

Believe...

As the sun shines there is faith

As the wind blows there is peace
As the bird sings there is hope
As the baby smiles there is joy
As the people embrace there is love

Denise Etienne © 2010 

This is one of my favorite pieces, I was surprise at how quickly it came to me in just a matter of minutes!  It is something we all experience some time in our life...

Be good!


D

"Dolphins"

"Dolphins"

I have always loved using my hands, be it for gardening, painting or just simply admiring my rings : )

So, over the last few years I've been carving these "Dolphins", which comes from the seed capsule of the Sandbox tree (Hura crepitans). The capsules looks like tangerines, as it ripens it bursts open with an explosive sound and the seeds are scattered. You can find lots of them on the forest floor, I use my army knife to carefully cut out the excess matter in the middle, and then I put a hole at the top, which will be the eye. Next I use some sandpaper to get a smooth finish, finally I dip it in some varnish.

A thought for the day...

Everyone deserves to be happy
For we were all created equally
There are no favorites.
Mostly, we have a desire to be good
And do what we know is right.
Sometimes though, we become self righteous
Thinking that we are better than the next person
Judging as we see fit.
But what makes us better than our neighbors?
Don't we all have wrong doings?
Aren't we all guilty of something?
Because I may live my life differently from you
Does not mean that I am worth less.
We are all human beings
We are all called to love and be loved.

~Denise Etienne © 2010