There is a Black Walnut tree growing near my studio so I wandered there to pay it a visit it this week and I picked up some of its gifts, blown down by the wind and rain we had last week, and brought them back to my studio. I'd been thinking about this tree since last week after visiting a local business called the Asheville Nuttery. With a handful of green nuts and leaves from the same tree I made a short stop-motion video for this weeks' assignment.
The impulse was play and movement. I didn't plan it out much, the dance happened without a rehearsal! I wasn't sure what music selection to add and asked around for feedback. An Appalachian fiddle air was the popular choice. Turned out to be a good choice and sets the 'dance' in our mountain traditions of Western NC.
I also used a sound clip made on Walk 3, of birds and crickets, at the beginning and at the end of the video. The Celtic Fiddle music is a paid download from iTunes, hopefully I credited it properly. I asked a friend of mine who plays the fiddle to create some original music to accompany the video and when she sends it I'll give it a try.
BTW - Black walnuts have a very different flavor profile than the English walnuts we usually get at the grocery store. A deeper flavor, almost like an extract. There are old family recipes for Black Walnuts cakes and pies. You might also like a sip of Nocino, a liqueur made from black walnuts. Hope you enjoy the dance!!!
Laurie, BRAVO! This was so fun. The music seemed perfect for the piece but I imagine something composed for it would be even better. Its funny, I can smell the Black walnuts as I watch this. I have a love/hate relationship with them. We have 4 large trees on our property which is wonderful except that their juglone toxin kills many things we try to plant under them. So I am constantly pulling up the seedlings and chucking the nut balls far away, but the smell lingers on my fingers for awhile. Did you experience that as you worked on this?
ReplyDeleteThe stop motion worked very well. It was smooth throughout except for maybe one quick moment and the choreography was excellent. Do you square dance yourself? You seemed to know the patterns and movements.
My relationship to Black walnuts is forever changed. Now when I see them I will think of them dancing and will feel quite cheery about that.
Laurie,
ReplyDeleteThis is delightful and I love the music with it! The whole thing makes me smile. I cannot imagine how long that must have taken to make given all the arrangements.
I have a black walnut tree too and love making dye and ink from the nuts each year and I hear they are very good with carbon sequestration. How lucky to have one in the city.
Lisa B
Oh what a clever idea! That was so much fun, I was actually tapping my toes with the little walnuts dancing. Definitely a great choice of music to evoke sort of a fall harvest festival feeling - only now I want both nocino and hot mulled apple cider....
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