11 questions with Fern Shaffer
For my newest interview, I had the pleasure of speaking with the incredible Fern Shaffer, who works as a painter, performance artist, lecturer and environmental advocate. Fern’s work began in conjunction with an emerging Ecofeminism movement, which brought together environmentalism, feminist values and spirituality to address a shared concern for the Earth and all forms of life. Read her inspiring 11 answers below!
1. What inspires you to make work?
I have a need to be creative and express what I am thinking. I chose visual arts to be my expression. I will think about a subject for example trees. Then comes the list of questions of how I am going to do it. I tried drawings and painting, and decided the question would be how to build a tree leaf by leaf and I chose the Ginkgo tree and leaves. I worked on this project for over 5 years. The final project was a 100 acrylic and oil stick 8 x 10 canvasses framed.
2. How did you become an artist?
I majored in art from High School through to College and a Master Degree. I painted all the time or created art in different forms. When I joined Artemisia Gallery, I knew that I was an artist and was President of this woman run alternative gallery for 12 years. I work to support myself by teaching art and working with the elderly.
3. What was the first piece of art you created?
I was very young, about 6 or 7. I drew a plate with many colors on it in Crayola and knew that art must be a part of my life.
4. What's your relationship with nature?
I love nature and as a young child our family camped. I am interested in Science and Nature and how we live on this planet.
5. What are the Nine Year Rituals?
I worked with Othello Anderson for many years and we did rituals to heal the earth. We decided to do a ritual that would take 9 years as a deeper commitment to the rituals. 9 is a healing number and we followed a pattern using the number 9. All the rituals were performed on the 9th day of the month and at 9 am. The ritual took place all across the Northern Hemisphere starting on Jan. 9, 1995 through Sep. 9, 2000. Each location was a symbol for the issues that were affecting our environment. Old Growth Forests, Swamps, Filling in Valleys by blowing up mountains to gain coal, and Oceans, Streams and Rivers, Growing Food as a few examples.
6. Which was one of your favorite performances you made?
I loved the Swamp, the 9th ritual. It was a very magical feeling being in the water in a swamp that was very old. You can tell by the size of the trees.
7. What does ecofeminism mean to you?
This is the definition of ecofeminism that means the most to me: Ecofeminism is a branch of feminism that sees environmentalism, and the relationship between women and the earth, as foundational to its analysis and practice ...
8. What's your favorite art form or medium to work in?
I have no favorite. The subject or the idea I want to convey sometimes takes a lot of experimentation to make the subject I want to feel right to what I am thinking. Sometimes it is watercolor, or oil stick or acrylic or color pencils.
9. What's your favorite part of the creative process?
Experimenting, finding new materials, working in various medias, researching the whole creative process. Solving problems.
10. What's your one message to the world?
We must be kind, help each other and be sensitive to where we live.
11. What's the one object you'd bring to a desert island?
Sea plane with instructions.
Thank you for reading. Stay tuned for more 11 questions with artists, makers and creatives coming your way soon. Never miss an issue by subscribing to my mailing list, and in the meantime feel free to take a look at my blog and some of my work as an artist.