Nature’s Last GaspPhotograph by Peter Simon

Fall is so nostalgic for me. This photo is of summer’s end, the death and dying of a season and of a time. It has always amazed and intrigued me that just before they die, leaves light up in these amazing fiery reds, oranges, and yellows as if they are having their last big hurrah before winter sets in and they have to turn brown and die away. The road in this image goes off into a potentially endless future and represents transition, the unknown, and the splendor of life before it all goes away. There’s this sense of impending doom in this photo as though it might be our last chance to witness innocence and beauty.

Artist
Peter Simon Peter Simon is a nationally acclaimed photographer and author. Throughout his nearly 40-year career, he has covered an eclectic range of subjects, documenting everything from protest-filled 1960s, to the scenic beauty of his beloved Martha’s Vineyard. In 2008, Simon fulfilled a decade long dream and opened up his own gallery, the Simon Gallery, in Vineyard Haven. Simon’s work has been featured in many publications, including Time, Newsweek, People, The New York Times, and Rolling Stone.
Location
Cedar Tree Neck Sanctuary ParkingCedar Tree Neck, West Tisbury, MA, USA Open in Google Maps › Open in Apple Maps ›
What do you See?
What do you see? Stop 0

Maximum file size: 52.43MB

FallingSong by Jennifer Nettles

The first thing that stood out in the photo I got to interpret [from stop 1] was the fiery, bright, and brilliant colors.  They evoked so much passion and vibrancy. Then I noticed the nostalgic road trailing off into the distance. I sat down at the piano and these lyrics just leaped forth; “I stood out on the road and watched as you were leaving. Leaves were dancing oranges and reds” and I thought Yep, I know this girl and I love her! I imagined her standing there, watching her lover leaving down this road with the wind blowing and all the leaves flying around her and I wrote “They circled all around me like confetti on fire.” I could feel the fire she felt for this man. In this song, my character is looking back at this scene from her life and owning her passion and her vulnerability. The bridge of the song is special for me ‘cause it reconciles my character’s childhood feelings about passion and fire being ‘unforgivable’ and her adult compassion for that child: “I went down to the church. I offered my confession. I swore I’d never do it again. I swore I learned my lesson. But every year the leaves appear, your memory comes sweet and clear. I never will forget you and I never did regret you.” I love her ownership of her past, her fire, her passion, and the consequences of all of it.

Artist
Jennifer Nettles Born in Douglas, Georgia, on September 12, 1974, Jennifer Nettles performed with Soul Miner’s Daughter and The Jennifer Nettles Band before forming Sugarland in 2003, with Kristen Hall and Kristian Bush. Nettles and Bush went on to considerable success, winning the 2009 Grammy Award for best country song and the Vocal Duo of the Year award from the Academy of Country Music.
Location
Cedar Tree Neck Sanctuary209 Obed Daggett Rd, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568, USA Open in Google Maps › Open in Apple Maps ›
What do you Hear?
What do you see? Stop 1

Maximum file size: 52.43MB

MetamorphosisPainting by Ruth Shively

Listening to the song [from stop 2], the first things that came to me were colors and the changing of seasons. The song was about memories associated with first love, the excitement, and joy, but also the pain when that love goes away. I titled my painting Metamorphosis. Thinking of the change from one stage of life to the next, a girl and her innocence growing into a mature woman, a butterfly. The image of a young woman standing alone on a road, watching her love walk away was what came to me. The colors represent the changing of time. I put the young girl in black to acknowledge that she has transformed into a woman.

Artist
Ruth Shively Ruth Shively grew up in Nebraska, receiving her BFA from University of Nebraska- Lincoln. With a curiosity to see beyond the plains of the Midwest, she ventured to Europe where she lived and worked in Paris. She moved back to the states and settled in New York City. While in New York, she worked in the illustration industry. Over the years, painting became more appealing in her life. Strongly attracted to the human form and facial features, she has concentrated on portraits. Ruth has exhibited her work in numerous solo and group exhibitions, and has recently settled in Portland, OR.
Location
Cedar Tree Neck Sanctuary209 Obed Daggett Rd, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568, USA Open in Google Maps › Open in Apple Maps ›
What do you See?
What do you see? Stop 2

Maximum file size: 52.43MB

EvolutionTea by Linda Villano

As an interpretation of the painting from stop 3, Linda created a strong black tea titled ‘Evolution.’   She imbued the black tea with red fruits and berries.  Here is her description of her interpretation.

The red & blue of the painting brought to mind the aroma & taste of berries. I was impressed initially by the bold colors & the minimal, even starkness of the painting with prominent blocks of color (red, blue, black) interrupted sporadically by short dabs of a golden hue & a figure of a fair, young woman facing forward, gazing outwards.  It appeared to me as though the figure was the artist actually transforming into her work. I see what look like brushes in her right hand & her left hand is actually already melding with the colors of the piece, as is the left side of her face & hairline suggesting that this is a portrait of the artist herself in the process of becoming her art….an evolution. With this in mind, I felt that my tea blend should not only be colorful (representing the visual palette of the piece) but it should also incorporate the process of evolving. I attempted to layer flavors of varying intensities so that the blend would evolve in the cup & in the mouth….certain flavors would reveal themselves at different times, and others would linger a bit……so the imbiber would contemplate the process. The Black Tea I selected as a base was used to represent the Black presence in the painting & like the black in the painting it provided an anchor, a firm foundation for the colors & the fruits.

Artist
Linda Villano Linda Villano co-founded SerendipiTea in 1995 with Tomislav Podreka. With a passion for all things Tea, she oversees all aspects of the business; including client consulting, concept & design, staff training, sourcing & product development (recipe creations). Having grown up in a family of restaurateurs and chefs, she considers her role as a purveyor of premium teas & tisanes a natural continuation of her family’s culinary tradition. Linda is a published illustrator & writer. Her illustrations appear in Tomislav Podreka’s book, SerendipiTea: a guide to the varieties, origins and rituals of tea, & she writes articles about tea for trade publications.
Location
Cedar Tree Neck SanctuaryC7MX+5M West Tisbury, MA, USA Open in Google Maps › Open in Apple Maps ›
What do you Taste?
What do you see? Stop 3

Maximum file size: 52.43MB