When I went to art school, my mind opened to the countless ways artists express themselves. Everything around me seemed full of potential for my next creative adventure. I feel like I’m in a similar place now. Dust to Apples has become a gift of freedom and self-discovery, and I’m savoring this phase of the creative process. There are endless ways for me to tell my story.
Recently, I had the privilege of sharing my creative process with a class of college freshmen. Honestly, I think it was more of a gift for me than for them. It’s rare that I take the time to reflect deeply on my process and articulate it to others. What surprised me was how much I had to say about my art—45 minutes flew by in what felt like an instant. Right now, I’m reading two books that resonate with this moment in my journey: The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin and The Work of Art by Adam Moss. Both offer fascinating insights into the unique process of creating. My vision for Dust to Apples is beginning to take shape. Here’s a glimpse into where I am right now. The project has three areas of focus: my story, our collective disconnection and dysfunction with the land, and the healing that can happen when we reconnect with it. As this unfolds, I will be sharing more about my process in this blog. Until then, I am feeling full of joy. Now, back to the studio!
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 The plants are fading, and my time on the farms has come to a pause. When I started this project back in March, I knew almost nothing about which plants could yield which colors. Now, I’m stepping into the next phase: learning how to work with frozen and dried plants to create pigments. I’ll be grinding stones, dirt, and bones, making charcoal from branches—delving into new techniques and materials. Ink is alive. It changes over time, and that initially frustrated me. But this month, I realized something important: I don’t have to fight against this quality. I can incorporate it into my work. I’m developing a conceptual piece called Time Lapse, where I’ll allow the ink’s natural shifts to document the passage of time in the artwork itself. Time Lapse is a quiet reflection on what we’ve gained and lost over generations: the wisdom of seasons and soil, the traditions passed down through families—so much of which has faded with industrialization. As farming has become more mechanized, we’ve lost some of the intimate knowledge that once connected us to the land. This piece highlights those changes, holding both the enduring beauty of what remains and the sorrow for what’s been left behind. Stay tuned for how the winter months produce a time for more research, more experimentation and more opportunities to refine my final exhibition. |
Melody EppersonA profoundly curious artist exploring what it means to be human through art and life. Archives
January 2025
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