Born in post-war Germany and primarily raised on a southeastern Ontario farm, Maia went on to study languages and education. Her first teaching contract was through CUSO (Canadian University Services Overseas); it was a meaningful, eye-opening, three-year experience at a Catholic mission school in the African country of Chad. This was followed by a “normal” teaching career in her home province. Then stay-at-home motherhood brought dramatic changes to her life. The years of raising her three boys opened the doors to hitherto untapped depths of creativity. Earlier dabbling in arts and crafts, both self-directed and through night school courses, crystallized in a fresh new expression. With her fascination for fairy tales, love of the woodlands, and concern for the environment, her path led her to the development of the Forest Friends, and eventually to a business, Down-To-Earth Creations. Maia’s art pieces — moments from the lives of the Forest Friends — reflect personal values and life-affirming insights while displaying a close connection to nature and sensitivity to the environment. They are, as her motto states, from the earth and the heart. Writing has become an increasingly important sideline. Maia’s self-published books include craft manuals, two novelettes about the Forest Friends, a cookbook (focused on the use of Maia’s salted herbs), various shorter works, and Wild Things for the Soul: Connecting with Nature to Balance our Lives. Maia is grateful to call home a place where doors and windows open to meadows and fields, and where well-trodden pathways lead into the...
The Forest Friend dioramas are sculptures lovingly formed around found wood which has been carefully cleaned, sanded, and finished, then brought to life with mosses, snails, bark, cones,…. and little people. A diorama may have as few as one character — or as many as thirty-five. Some scenes are light-hearted, others serious; some have universal appeal, others fill specific requests (for example, a special birthday or anniversary, the birth of a child, retirement, a period of difficult changes). The materials used in the dioramas are chosen with care and with respect for the environment; they must be ecologically compatible, with little, if any, allowance for aesthetics. It is a fundamental rule that every component of these art pieces is within the realm of the possible for a society of elfin beings living in our forests. In “Bountiful Harvest,” for example, the gatherers are bringing in supplies which are edible or medicinal, as well as materials for tools, containers, and instruments. In “Medicine Maid,” the healer is surrounded with stores of medicinal flowers, leaves, and roots. Her mortar and pestle consist of a round pebble in a clam shell or smooth hollow of rock. The basketmaker uses birch bark, pine needles, oak galls, snake skins, fibre from the leatherbark bush, to mention just a few items connected to his craft. A Forest Friend’s pet may be a beetle or a bumblebee. Wasps serve as protectors. Although every Forest Friend diorama is a one-of-a-kind work of art, capturing a moment out of this elusive civilization, the themes are repeated. Here is a partial list: Celebration of New Life, Mother and Child, Greeting the Dawn, Heartbeat and Spirit Rhythm, Time for Wonder, Time for Teling Tales, The Promise, Making Music, Lullaby, Play, Time for Contemplation, The Rescue, Hidden Treasure, Gifts, Borrowing from the Bees, A New Melody, Duet, Rhythmic Meditation, Waking up the Ladybird Beetles, … Each one is numbered and titled, and comes with an explanatory leaflet. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FOREST FRIENDS: A SEED OF AN IDEA THAT TOOK FLIGHT – Click Here ...
MAIA’S SALTED HERBS A blend of vegetables and herbs, chopped up raw and preserved in salt, used as a seasoning in … just about anything! Salting food is an ancient method of preservation, dating to the days (centuries!) before refrigeration. One reads accounts of people salting fish, beef, pork, and various vegetables. And then there are salted herbs. Variations of salted herbs exist in many countries, and the composition of the product seems to depend upon culture, culinary preferences, and the plants growing in the garden. I had not heard of salted herbs until I lived in Quebec for a year in the late seventies. One day I bought a jar of “les herbes salees” in a grocery store, and tried them in one dish after the other. To my delight, I found they gave everything a rich flavour boost. When I moved back to Ontario, I couldn’t find them anywhere, and soon forgot about them. Life changed, and among the upheavals in mine was the recession of the early 90’s. With three young boys and no income, we moved into a rural setting. My husband found work here and there, and I was offered a chance to earn money by doing a bit of market gardening. It didn’t take me long to discover a sideline of preserves to be equally profitable. One day a French Canadian customer was buying a bushel of broad beans for his favourite “soupe aux feves.” I asked what else he put into it, and he stressed the absolute necessity of including “les herbes salees.” Salted herbs! My ears perked up. My mind starting working. I wondered if I would be able to make my own version. After all, I had my own garden, overflowing with bountiful produce …. Armed with a list of the ingredients in “les herbes salees,” a lifetime of hands-on experience with flavourful, wholesome cooking, and a garden full of lush vegetables and herbs, I started experimenting. Two years later, having refined the recipe, adjusting ingredients and proportions, I finally brought Maia’s Salted Herbs into being. Parsley, celeriac, onions, leeks, carrots, chives, and savory, chopped up raw (except for savory), and preserved in coarse salt. A wonderful way of capturing the flavours of a garden for seasoning an unlimited array of nourishing dishes. Salted herb production begins in spring, with the seeding of carrots, and planting of leeks and onions in soil free of pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers. Once danger of frost is past, rows of celeriac, parsley, and savory are added. The chives, being perennial, already have their own permanent place. In the months that follow, the garden is tended. Watered when necessary. Hoed. By mid-summer, the savory, at its peak, is harvested, hung to dry, and then...
Return to Magic Written & Illustrated by Maia Heissler Several extraordinary events have captured 35-year-old Caleb’s attention. The message is clear: come back to the land. Caleb makes the decision to take a two week holiday away from his high-stress city job. He heads north with his family to reconnect with old friends and a beloved property whose elfin inhabitants, the Forest Friends, have ways and wisdom he cherishes. Unbeknownst to him, a poaching operation has cast a dark shadow over the land, disrupting its harmony and balance — and the lives of the Forest Friends. These Little Ones now appeal to Caleb for help in restoring a peaceful environment. Various circumstances of life then tug the adults away from the property, leaving Caleb’s son, 11-year-old Daniel, alone. Will the boy by himself be able to find the strength and the courage to do what is necessary to help bring back peace and magic? Return to Magic is about love and respect for Mother Earth. It is about the wonder and magic of our natural surroundings. About the wisdom of Nature. The joy in simple things. The beauty and intelligence of the cycles of life. Responsibility and caring. And much more. Return to Magic is a story for all ages For further inquiries/ordering, please contact Maia at: maiasforestfriends@sympatico.ca or 613 398 6703 To Mend a Broken Web Written & Illustrated by Maia Heissler To Mend a Broken Web is a tale of courage and hope, with appeal for all ages. The Web. The beautiful, though fragile, delicately woven Web of Life has been broken. Broken by people in high places, and by people who will not see. To the bottom of his heart, to the depths of his soul, twelve-year-old Caleb feels the pain and the suffering of a land he has grown to cherish. Although he would love to flee from this nightmare, he knows he must stay to speak, to act, for those who have no voice. With Caleb’s child-wisdom, tiny Tago’s guidance, and their combined strengths, the boy and the Forest Friend elder lead the way to a powerful solution. Wild Things for the Soul Written & Illustrated by Maia Heissler “Wild Things For The Soul” takes the random, unsculpted beauty of nature and makes it deep, personal, and extraordinarily meaningful when seen through the creative eyes of author Maia Heissler. More than a how-to, more than a collection of reflective essays and experiences, this book yields unique insights on the infinite ways nature can be a playground and a “soulground” for us all. It helps us celebrate, in natural ways, bonds with nature that only someone with true inner wisdom can offer. Maril Crabtree, Author, Mission, KS Sacred Feathers: The Power of One Feather to Change...
Forest Friend (for-ist frend) n. Elfin being of Ontario woodlands, known for environmental consciousness and earth-based spirituality Since ancient times the Forest Friends have recognized the interdependence of all lifeforms, thus they understand that to live in Harmony with the Earth, with the Others, and within their own community is essential for their survival, balance, and joy of living. Their nature-based wisdom has important messages for our fast-paced technological...
"From the earth & the heart"
The home of Maia's Forest Friends and other gifts from the woodsForest Friend (for-ist frend) n. Elfin being of Ontario woodlands, known for environmental consciousness and earth-based spirituality
Since ancient times the Forest Friends have recognized the interdependence of all lifeforms, thus they understand that to live in Harmony with the Earth, with the Others, and within their own community is essential for their survival, balance, and joy of living. Their nature-based wisdom has important messages for our fast-paced technological age.
December 2020
Return to Magic Written & Illustrated by Maia Heissler
