When we cleaned out our attic last week, I rediscovered my art portfolios from long ago including an unopened package from my parents that to my disbelief contained examples of my school years work from kindergarten to college that my dad had saved. Like father, like daughter. I had to laugh at this generational inclination to record our histories. I had done the same thing for our son.
Early drawing of trees
These old drawings intrigued me because I noticed a stream of subjects that held my interest from one year to the next. I drew dozens of trees, many women in fashionable outfits, and figures from weddings. In high school and college, I filled large newsprint pads with drawings of models in every position imaginable. I created a zillion graphic designs as well.
Tree Studies in 2021
I have been amazed at the quantity of work, which as I leafed through the stacks of paper, helped me to see my progression from awkwardness to confidence as an artist. If only we all had such similar detailed information to look back on for signs of our growth in other areas of our life, we could say to ourselves, “Good enough.”
Leaf studies
I thought of my mantra: “practice, practice, practice,” and realized I had done just that. Now my question is: what do I keep?
Three Exhibitions to Explore in One Place! The new exhibition “Tree Time + Silos” by artist Amanda Love presents a photographic documentation of the prehistoric and endangered species, The Metasequoia (or Dawn Redwoods) with a sneak peak at “Silos” an outdoor exhibition also inspired by the Dawn Redwoods coming this fall. “Treewhispers” displays a “forest” of handmade paper and artistic exploration honoring trees by Pamela Paulsrud and the late Marilyn Sward. “It Sounds Like Love” by artist Cadine Navarro creates a place of encounter with native Ohio prairie seeds.
As a boy I knew there was more to trees than just limbs to be climbed and heights to be reached. There was something mysterious and magical about them. They were living creatures of infinite sizes and shapes and each of them had a story to tell. And these trees told their stories slowly, quietly, and poetically.
Photos courtesy of Bobbi Galvin, Branch Supervisor Emerson R. Miller Branch, Licking County Library, Newark, OH
Sixteen eager participants shared in the papermaking event at the Emerson R. Miller Branch of the Licking County Library, Newark, OH. Many thanks to Bobbi Galvin, Branch Supervisor for tending to the details, Amanda Love for offering the supplies, and all who engaged in the incredible art and craft of papermaking. Report has it that fun was had by all!
Look what showed up on my doorstep! Over 1100 celebrated handmade paper rounds — 35 “trees” created over many months by the Kaligrafos calligraphy Guild of Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex members.
In December when the proposed gallery closed and the pandemic hit, creatives Tom & Brenda Burns, Trish Manche, Rick Garlington, Monica & Rick Winters, Betty Barna, and Sherry Barber sprung into action to display and video their work in a natural setting near Whitewright, TX.
It’s incredibly perfect and ever-so beautiful!
In gratitude for their journey—time, expertise and venture, I’ve captured some images below.
For the entire video scroll on the Events Page and enjoy!
We all have at one time in our life experienced a tree in one way or another.
We climbed trees with our friends seeing who could climb the highest, built a tree house that was our refuge, walked through a cool dense forest in the springtime, plucked a plump red apple off a tree, speculated on what kind of a tree we would be.
On a hot summer evening, did you run to a tree for safe base when you played tag?
Just as the rings of a tree embody the stories of the tree, so too we carry the stories of trees. These stories inspire us to renew our sense of wonder. They connect us to one another through shared experiences as they deepen our understanding to our connection with nature.
The Nature x 4 Exhibition also features the “2022 Audubon Photography Awards”, “Feathered Portraits” photography exhibition by Donna Winters, and sound/meditation “It Sounds Like Love” by Cadine Navarro. It’s a wonderful collection of nature! Don’t miss it!
In anticipation and celebration of the upcoming 2023 exhibition at Grange Insurance Audubon in Columbus, Ohio I’m combing the archives to honor the commensalistic relationship of birds and trees.
Art and handmade paper/Anonymous
In anticipation and celebration of the upcoming 2023 exhibition at Audubon, I’m combing the archives to honor the commensalistic relationship of birds and trees.
In this time of giving, please consider supporting an impressive new campaign to plant trees in the Amazon Rainforest.
‘It is one of the best available environmental actions for the Earth and all living beings. The United Nations has declared 2021-2030 the Decade of Eco-Restoration. Around 25% of the land on Earth is now in a degraded state. The restoration of degraded lands is essential to ending the climate crisis.’ [1]
Just imagine:
$14 will plant 1 tree and fund their care for 3 years, restoring 43 square feet of forest.
$140 will plant 10 trees and fund their care for 3 years, restoring 430 square feet of forest.
$700 will plant 50 trees and fund their care for 3 years, restoring 2,150 square feet of forest.
$1,400 will plant 100 trees and fund their care for 3 years, restoring 4,300 square feet of forest.
$70,000 will plant 5000 trees and fund their care for 3 years, restoring 5 acres of forest.
Inochi’s goal for 2022 is to raise enough funding from their friends and colleagues to support a local community plant and sustain 5,000 tree seedlings of a mixed variety of species using already successful agroforestry techniques.
Inochi is a U.S. nonprofit organization active locally (in California, Hawaii and Japan) and internationally (around the world) since 1993. They have recently been working with a trustworthy volunteer team of Inochi members in Brazil to address climate change while supporting local communities of Indigenous Peoples.
Let’s get started and help them—help us. It’s a great tree story!
Treewhispers 