So we'll let Shane introduce his collection!
This is my collection of green men on the wall in our pocket garden at the Maryland Renaissance Festival, this picture was taken in 2010. Known as the "Green Man's Garden", it is carved out of a narrow space between our and the neighbor's booth. We use it for breaks, visiting with friends, and as an extra workspace from the main shop next door. The collection has been assembled over many years and is constantly growing. It spends much of the season hanging on the outside walls of our home in Western Maryland, but once a year, it gets carefully packed and displayed in the garden for several weeks. There are various artists and resources represented in the collection. From familiar foliate faces out of garden catalogs, to historical molds taken from ancient churches. I enjoy showing them to guests, and a historical tour of the image and it's artistic evolution through time is often in order.
A view inside the secret door of the garden. From the outside, to the patrons at the festival, it is a full length mirror. The fountain and laughing fellow atop the pedestal were both gifts from friends, and I believe it came from garden centers. Cast in molded plastic, they exemplify that for the Green Man collector, there are numerous affordable options available.
I am particularly fond of the work of Paul Borda. Paul's evocative imagery is hand carved in wood and then cast in resin. This amused fellow, (pictured from before the yellow painting in the garden) is an iconic figure and beautifully done. Also in my collection, and not individually pictured, is the amazing sculpture of Edan Kent. His skill at capturing the powerful face of the Green Man is remarkable and I collected his work a number of years ago at a Celtic event. I lost track of Edan, you can imagine my surprise and delight at his attendance at the 2011 FaerieCon in Baltimore. It was a pleasure to introduce him to the Mythic Arts community I had told him so much about, so many years ago.

No comments:
Post a Comment