AUTUMN’S ALLURE EAT, DRINK & CELEBRATE PAGE 22 theconnectionsnj.com Uniquely Delicious Experience OPEN FOR LUNCH Wednesday – Friday 12 PM – 3 PM OPEN FOR DINNER Tuesday – Sunday 5 PM – 10 PM Closed Monday We have developed a unique dining experience for all of our guests using fresh and sustainable ingredients – taking you on a culinary journey like no other. From classic Italian recipes to new-age kitchen adventures, each dish reflects our passion for high-quality food presented in a simple yet pleasing manner. 732-356-3500 • 732-357-1257 • Off Premise Catering Available • BYOB www.cafeveneziaofmartinsville.com 1966 Washington Valley Rd., Martinsville, NJ 08836 Private Dining Room for all your special events! Bring Your Family & Friends to the table and savor the taste of Italy together! • Your Art Resource for 99 Years • 27,000 square feet of Dedicated Art Space • Adult Art Classes: Ceramics, Stained Glass, Painting, Jewelry Design, Life Drawing, Sewing, Crochet, Sculpture, Printmaking... • Kids and Teen Saturday Art Program • Live Theater, Lectures, Art Gallery www.ducretarts.org • 908-757-7171 For More Information Email Us at: info@ducretarts.org A nonprofit 501 © (3) organization CREATIVECORNER Ephemeral Art By Carolyn Hanson in warm water softens them enough for weaving. Willow branches also work. The technique is similar to wrapping yarn into a ball, plus tucking the ends and weaving as you go. I am thinking of adding fairy lights to the balls and leaving them in the labyrinth (along with the cement rope lawn sculpture - See my June 2025 article). I also crochet over large river rocks with white cotton yarn and place them in the garden. The sun bleaches them, and, over time, the cotton decomposes or becomes bedding for a squirrel’s nest. I am also fascinated by intricate crochet on leaf edges; elaborate mandalas created by monks using colored sand only to blow it all away upon completion; and intricate ice sculptures that catch the light and then disappear. All are so beautiful and so temporary. Everyone can enjoy this creative practice in any season and watch it return to nature. For Children: • Collect different color leaves and make designs on a path. The wind will whisk it away. • Carve a pumpkin. Leave it outside and wildlife will munch away. • Build a snowman or igloo and watch it shrink and melt. • Watch chalk drawings wash away in the rain. • Paint anything with water on a hot day and watch it evaporate. • Build a sandcastle, add shells and sticks. High tide erases all. Make a wreath from wildflowers and wear it like a crown all day. Welcome Fall. BTW, I highly recommend the self-guided walking tour in Vermont, www.vermontinntoinnwalking.com. Four inns, 43 miles, fabulous 3-course meals and luggage transported. Check it out. aking art out of natural materials is something I’m drawn to each season. It may disappear or decompose, but at the moment, for the moment, it is beautiful. Ephemeral art is just that…Art that is intentionally temporary. It does not leave a permanent mark. It can be fragile. Performing arts like dance and song, sculptures from natural materials, even paintings or drawings that wash away are all ephemeral art. This spring I took a walking tour in Vermont where previous walkers had decorated the trail with ephemeral art. I saw a stone cairn, a floral bouquet in an old high-top sneaker, and a labyrinth cut into a field of wildflowers. The locals call them “hoodoos”, and we added to them by making a lattice on a “Y” shaped branch and weaving in wildflowers, ferns, and leaves. We left our art beside a fairy house at one of the inns. It was such a fun group project. Now others on the trail will see our contribution to the trail art and perhaps refresh the flowers as they wither. At home, we have a healthy wisteria vine that covers a pergola. It grows like a weed, so the vines need to be trimmed every few weeks. My husband saves the trimmings. While they are green, I bend and shape them into wreaths and balls. If they are more woody or dried out, a soaking M mandalas created by monks using col
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