Ephemeral
“/ɪˈfɛm(ə)r(ə)l/
1. Lasting for a very short time
1.1 (Chiefly of plants) having a very short life cycle”
&
Ethereal
“/ɪˈθɪərɪəl/
1. Extremely delicate or light in a way that seems to be not of this world
1.1 Spiritual”
The words ephemeral and ethereal have always interested me. Not only are they beautifully put together with all those 'e's and 'l's and things, they also convey a sense of beauty and magic. The word ephemeral applies to those things that are transient in this world - fated to live only a short time. The word ethereal denotes a thing of great beauty and fragility; something so delicate it is almost otherworldly. Put these two together, and you have a description for life itself: fleeting, delicate, and beautiful.
All of life seems to fit inside these words - animals, plants, humans, stars. All things are transient in their own way, ever-changing, momentary. And in that sense, life is delicate. Hanging by the threads of the three fates, life will be snipped away, and then rewoven anew.
It is that balance of being and non-being that makes life beautiful, ethereal even.
Other things may be ephemeral and ethereal:
Experiences, for instance.
The scent of cherry blossoms, caught on the wind.
Dreams and wakening.
Our own shadow.
Bubbles and seafoam.
It is the nature of these things that interest me, and this is my motivation behind my ongoing artwork using living plants to create bodily adornments.
