Kathleen Gilrain

Impressions of Lost Life Casts of pregnant bellies line the bottom of a creek. Impressions of life, portraits. There are over four hundred of them, made from the earth, red clay, white quartz, yellow river sand and iron oxide. They create a mosaic of color from white to red to deep rich brown. They look like river stones with belly buttons. The water flows over them, washing, cleansing smoothing their surface. Sunlight reflects through the running water creating dancing patters of light and color on the swollen bellies. Time passes. Memories remain. It is about miscarriage, wanted pregnancies, unwanted losses.

A split hickory tree creates a bridge to a medicinal garden. The plants in the garden, all native to the area, were used by Native Americans, and are still used by herbalists to strengthen the uterus, prepare for pregnancy, promote a healthy pregnancy, prevent miscarriage and to aid in delivery or in healing after delivery. The plants which make up the medicinal garden are:

Mitchella repens, partridgeberry, squaw vine
Viburnum prunifolium, black-haw Viburnum opulus, cramp bark
Eupatorium pupureum, joe pye weed, queen of the meadow

February 2000