Earth Day- Windows
It is Earth Day! As a child, we would carry home little pine saplings from school and plant them along the border of my parent’s property and the field to the north on Earth Day. My father then planted some more hardy saplings in there to fill the gaps of out sad little trees.
These trees grew so big and full. The view from these trees to the old farm house where my grandfather grew up became the subject for window #3.
The Window Series - Window #1
I started this series in 2014 after returning from Myanmar, our first home outside America. It took me a while to decide how to utilize the windows into an art series. I came across a mini tutorial using a rotary tool with a diamond flecked bit instead of toxic etching creams. I had an idea to combine in with intaglio ink, I made a sample on a glass bottle and it worked! This is where my inked freehand glass etching began. The idea with the windows was to do something reconnecting with my roots. Most of the artwork I have made since 2011 is inspired by the countries we live in. Window #1 I juxtaposes a rural overgrown silo from the area I grew up and the city architecture viewed out our window during that brief three month stay in Washington DC between living in Myanmar and Armenia.
“The Road Home” window #2
These windows came from my late grandfather’s barn and each time I return for a visit, I etch one more window. The drive from the highway out to my childhood had filled me with nostalgia and became the subject for window #2. It was a route I knew well growing up. “Home” is a tricky word for me these day. Though this area and my family have a special place in my heart, the places we live, like here in Tokyo, are home. “Home” changes and expands with time.
“Earth Day View” -window #3
The old farmhouse view from the Earth Day pine trees was the subject for window #3. This house went back generations. It is where my grandfather grew up, and my mother spent her early childhood. As a child I was fascinated by the history it held. After going through old photos with my grandmother I decided I wanted to capture it as it was in that moment of 2018. I asked my parents to hold this window for me as I took a photo through the window of the same view.
“Langenderfer Farms” -window #4
For Window #4 I chose the view across the field from my grandmother’s lawn. As I was sketching my grandmother told me that the farm in the distance was the original Langenderfer Farm. She also said the family brought the bricks all the way from Germany to build it. My parents moved this window with my grandmother when she had to spend her last few months in an assisted living. It meant a lot to me that she got to keep her view across the field.
"The Willow Tree" -window #5
I captured my favorite childhood meeting spot for window #5. The catholic church was about halfway between my home and my best friend. Along side the church, is a graveyard full of the previous generations including many of my ancestors. This same parish is where my parents were married, I was baptized as a baby, and my grandparents now rest. But it was the willow tree at the back of the graveyard that we loved best. We would try to translate the old German gravestones, swing on the willow branches, and set up a little picnic.
Another 10-15 Years
This is a rather personal art project and I love layering my memories with how the area has changed. This is what I want to capture in windows that could have become more waste in a landfill but I happened to take a interest in all those years ago. My brother mentioned them and went with me to pull them out before the structures were torn down and the property sold. I have a few more windows to etch. It will take about 20 years start to finish to complete this series. You can see a brief video of my working on window #5 on my Instagram
*Update: In August 2025 I etched window #6 - Living In The Present