Tag Archives: eggs

My artwork seen from space

Wow – what a surprise! I just realised that Google has updated their satellite views, and one can clearly see my land art installations ‘Salt Circles’ right from outer space! Isn’t that cool?

Land art installation 'Salt Circles' by Imke Rust, as seen on Google Satellite View.

Land art installation ‘Salt Circles’ by Imke Rust, as seen on Google Satellite View. (Correct Coordinates: 22° 36’ 21” S,14° 31’ 51” E)

I have taken this photo from my screen, but you can go and have a look on Google Maps/Satellite View yourself. (Coordinates: 22° 36’ 21” S,14° 31’ 51” E)

Even if one cannot see each circle on its own, one can clearly see the smallest and largest circle and some lighter/white shade in between.

And I have another special treat for you! Outer space pictures are amazing, but looking very closely at something is equally breathtaking. Here are some close up pictures, taken by my father a few months after completion of the installation:

chestnut banded plover in the centre of my salt installation

Chestnut banded plover (near threatened species) in the centre of my salt installation

While photographing the salt circles for me, my father noticed this chestnut banded plover (thank you to Jean-Paul Roux for pointing out the correct name) in the centre of the circles, and the bird did not want to leave, dispite all the action. So on closer inspeciton my father found the reason why it was spending time in the centre of the salt circles:

Strandloopertjie nest with eggs

Strandloopertjie nest with eggs

Yes, she has choosen the salt ridges of the circles as perfect shelter for laying her eggs. 🙂 🙂 🙂

The artwork was supposed to be a symbolic blessing and protection of the surrounding land. The concentric circles were selected as a shape to symbolise the outward ripple-effect which I hope this blessing and protection would have. To me the nest of the bird seems to confirm in a small but beautiful way, that my intentions are recognised and appreciated by nature.

Another close-up view

Another close-up view

For more information and pictures of this artwork, click here.

Frozen Easter Eggs

If you can’t beat them, join them…

I guess that applies to the weather too. If you cannot beat the cold – play along.

So that is what I did for Easter. As I already mentioned in my previous Easter post, I am not really into the whole Easter thing and much to some people’s despair I only ever follow rituals or parts of them, which seem like real fun to me, when I am in the mood for it or if they make some other kind of sense to me (and that does not always need to be the rational kind of sense 😉 ) .

Since we were invited for an Easter dinner and I recently read something about freezing water in balloons, I decided to create some frozen Easter eggs, suitable as an ephemeral gift for the host’s garden and the icy cold weather.

The Process

I filled water into balloons and hung them in the freezer. After the water was frozen, I peeled off the balloon.

Now I boiled some beetroot peels (the rest of the root was turned into a yummy raw salad) to get a natural and environmentally friendly colour for the red egg. Only at this stage I remembered to take photographs of the process. I used commercial food colouring for the other two eggs as I ran out of time for being more creative in making my own colours.

Boiled beetroot peels create a lovely red colour, which I painted onto the frozen ice/egg

Boiled beetroot peels create a lovely red colour…

Boiled beetroot peels create a lovely red colour, which I painted onto the frozen ice/egg

…which I used to paint the frozen ice/egg

The eggs were stored in the freezer and then transported in a padded cool-box to our dinner hosts.

Easter eggs in the freezer

Easter eggs stored safely in the freezer

The Result:

Then the Easter bunny (i.e. me) could not decide, where to place the eggs, to get the best visibility – these eggs were not made for hiding after all. After trying the pretty white snow blanket of the back yard, I decided it is best to place them right in view of the front door, even if there was not an ‘all white’ dense snow covering as I had wished for.But they would be in plain view of everybody leaving or entering the house.

The Easter eggs in their full glory

The Easter eggs in their full glory

Easter Eggs viewed from the top

Easter Eggs viewed from the top

Much to my joy, they were well received…. 🙂 And we were treated to a delicious meal and lovely evening.

IRust_DSC02355(c)

The bunny left some frozen Easter eggs at the front door…

And if they have not melted, they might still be there today…

Wishing you a great remainder of the week!