When Tears turn to stone.

There is something quietly powerful about placing a few objects together. In this still life photograph, I arrange a wooden branch, a stone, fragments of wool, and other natural materials collected during my daily walks. Each object carries its own spirit — unique characteristics that reveal themselves over time. This way of working aligns with animism: the belief that every element of the natural world holds its own life force. For me, animistic still life photography is not only about capturing form, but about listening to the quiet voices of matter. Each fine art still life becomes a dialogue between objects, light, and spirit.

I discovered the stone near a dry riverbank, its edges shaped by time and water. The wool was spun by my mother decades ago on a spinning wheel back in the ’80s. Both objects are special to me, but it often takes time to find the right combinations. Many of the materials rest in my studio for quite a while before they find their place. Through a process of combining, eliminating, and rearranging, they eventually reveal a dialogue. The stone carries a certain heaviness, wearing the scratches of time. The wool is soft, handmade, and fragile.

Arranging them in my studio has become a kind of ritual — an attempt to understand the soul of each object. Every stone has a different spirit, and placing the objects in the right constellation is essential to me. It feels like positioning players on a stage, each with a unique role.

I placed the stone first, grounding the composition. Then I noticed that the stone alone was not enough, so I entangled it in a string of wool. The eye came next — I had already painted it with chalk. Finally, I added the curved dead branch to bring closure to the arrangement.

You could call it shamanism or animism, but for me the process of creating a still life is about forming a bond with the objects. I need to feel and understand their core, their soul.

Often, the still lifes take on a life of their own. After I’ve photographed them, I disassemble the arrangements and create new combinations. This happens with just as much respect as when I first build the still life for the photo, always taking into account the soul of the objects.

This photograph is part of a series in which I explore the natural world through animistic still life photography. Each composition is created with found natural materials and arranged as a fine art still life before being photographed. The works are printed as limited editions of 10 and are available as fine art prints in the store.