November | 2023 | Treewhispers

Archive for November, 2023

California sighting on a crisp, cool winter day.

Posted in Photo, Trees, tagged honoring trees, tree, Trees, Treewhispers on November 29, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Photo by Phawnda Moore/California

Life’s path, friends and mentors, and the interconnectedness of trees

Posted in Art, Calligraphy, tree stories, Trees, Treewhispers, tagged honoring trees, storytelling, tree art, tree stories, Trees, Treewhispers on November 4, 2023| 2 Comments »

Two years ago, we lost our dear friend and mentor, Christine Colarsurdo, a renowned calligrapher from Portland. At her memorial show, there was a poignant poem she had written and lettered about an oak tree, a fitting tribute given Christine’s love for nature. Her sisters later gave me the artwork. as a remembrance gift since I had planted a native oak tree in my yard.

Recently I took a class on Text and Texture with Yukimi Annand. Inspired by Christine and the poem, I chose the bark of my oak as my muse, seeking to imitate its patterns and textures in my calligraphy. The resulting piece featured the first and last lines of Christine’s poem, along with oak leaf stamps which were based on similar stamps that Christine made.