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.
Did you climb trees with your friends to see who could climb the highest? Build a treehouse that was your refuge? Walk through a cool dense forest in the springtime or pluck a ruby red apple off a tree? Did you ever speculate on what kind of a tree we would be? Hmmmm. Oak? Birch? Maple?
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 theme woven through this painting is the interplay between trees and fish, depicted in indigenous traditions of Indian art. In many ancient cultures, trees are acclaimed and adored, but in India, the tree is considered as Purusha and earth as Prakriti. The cosmic entity, Purusha, exists beyond the realms of time and space and combines with Prakriti to form this world of creation. Fish are a symbol of fertility and prosperity, symbolizing wealth and abundance. The presence of fish indicates that all the elements of nature are in harmony.
Madhubani or Mithila
Madhubani or Mithila painting was traditionally created by the women of various communities in the Mithila region of India in the eastern Indian State of Bihar. Traditionally done on freshly plastered mud walls and floors of huts, Madhubani paintings are made from the paste of powdered rice, colors extracted from flowers and other natural ingredients. Madhubani paintings use two-dimensional imagery with central themes that are based around nature and Hindu Gods and Goddesses.
Trees depict the various elements of life in complete harmony. Trees, birds, animals are all support systems for each other. A melodious harmony of well formed shapes, bright colored fills and intricate patterns are depicted in Madhubani art.
With changing trends and requirements, these indigenous and tribal art forms are now also done on handmade paper, silk saris, dresses, shawls & pots with acrylic colors and other current day art materials. These arts, though developed in the rural areas centuries ago have experienced a resurgence and are cherished even by the urban elite. Social scenarios are depicted these days using this art style, making it very contemporary. These paintings are very much in demand and the revival of these art forms has helped the artists and their creativity flourish.
The theme woven through this painting is the interplay between trees and fish, depicted in indigenous traditions of Indian art. In many ancient cultures, trees are acclaimed and adored, but in India, the tree is considered as Purusha and earth as Prakriti. The cosmic entity, Purusha, exists beyond the realms of time and space and combines with Prakriti to form this world of creation. Fish are a symbol of fertility and prosperity, symbolizing wealth and abundance. The presence of fish indicates that all the elements of nature are in harmony.
Warli
The Warli tribe is one of the largest in India, located outside the bustling metropolis of Mumbai, in the western Indian State of Maharashtra. Warli art is very near and dear to me since I grew up in Bombay, (which is now called Mumbai) and saw it very often drawn on walls, tree trunks and on cloth. This tribal style of art is thought to date back as early as 10th century A.D. The Warli culture is centered on the concept of Mother Nature and elements of nature are often focal points. Farming is their main way of life and a large source of food for the tribe. They greatly respect nature and wildlife for the resources that they provide. Warli artists use their clay huts as the backdrop for their paintings.
Warli painting is a simple, ancient and an eloquent way to express one’s thoughts and emotions. Only with some simple drawings and the use of two contrasting colors, a lot can be expressed. The Warli only paint with a white pigment made from a mixture of rice flour and water, with gum as a binder. A bamboo stick is chewed at the end to give it the texture of a paintbrush.
With changing trends and requirements, these indigenous and tribal art forms are now also done on handmade paper, silk saris, dresses, shawls & pots with acrylic colors and other current day art materials. These arts, though developed in the rural areas centuries ago have experienced a resurgence and are cherished even by the urban elite. Social scenarios are depicted these days using this art style, making it very contemporary. These paintings are very much in demand and the revival of these art forms has helped the artists and their creativity flourish.
The theme woven through this painting is the interplay between trees and fish, depicted in indigenous traditions of Indian art. In many ancient cultures, trees are acclaimed and adored, but in India, the tree is considered as Purusha and earth as Prakriti. The cosmic entity, Purusha, exists beyond the realms of time and space and combines with Prakriti to form this world of creation. Fish are a symbol offertility and prosperity, symbolizing wealth and abundance. The presence of fish indicates that all the elements of nature are in harmony.
Gond
The Gond tribes primarily live in the central Indian State of Madhya Pradesh. Dating back to more than 1400 years ago, the Gond tribe has painted and carved art on the walls of caves which all belong to the Mesolithic Period. The Gond believe that viewing good images brought in good luck. Their paintings…
The theme woven through this painting is the interplay between trees and fish, depicted in indigenous traditions of Indian art. In many ancient cultures, trees are acclaimed and adored, but in India, the tree is considered as Purusha and earth as Prakriti. The cosmic entity, Purusha, exists beyond the realms of time and space and combines with Prakriti to form this world of creation. Fish are a symbol of fertility and prosperity, symbolizing wealth and abundance. The presence of fish indicates that all the elements of nature are in harmony.
Gond
The Gond tribes primarily live in the central Indian State of Madhya Pradesh. Dating back to more than 1400 years ago, the Gond tribe has painted and carved art on the walls of caves which all belong to the Mesolithic Period. The Gond believe that viewing good images brought in good luck. Their paintings are also a means to record and pass on historical knowledge and teachings.
The Gond people believe that every element of nature, be it the hills, the sky or the trees, is inhabited by a spirit. Recreating the forms of nature therefore is done with reverence and worship of their sacred essence. Gond paintings take inspiration from the myths and legends of India. A detailed narrative portrays abstract concepts encompassing emotions, dreams, and imaginative constructs.
The most significant subjects explored and depicted in Gond paintings include birds, animals, and mythical beasts. Since the paintings also derive themes from the daily lives of the people, the Mahua Tree is an important subject. Considered as the Tree of Life, the flowers, fruits, seeds, and leaves from the Mahua tree serve many purposes for the tribe.
With changing trends and requirements, these indigenous and tribal art forms are now also done on handmade paper, silk saris, dresses, shawls & pots with acrylic colors and other current day art materials. These arts, though developed in the rural areas centuries ago have experienced a resurgence and are cherished even by the urban elite. Social scenarios are depicted these days using this art style, making it very contemporary. These paintings are very much in demand and the revival of these art forms has helped the artists and their creativity flourish.
Phawnda is a lettering designer, author and instructor in Northern California. With farmers and gardeners in the family, she grew up around a lot of trees.
For 7 years, Phawnda designed promotional materials for 3 national food commissions of stone fruit and nut trees. Often, invitations to special events included hand-lettered envelopes to food editors on the east coast.
Now she especially enjoys a connection to the seasons of trees because of their similarities to the chapters of human life.
Phawnda’s four rounds are related to caring for her own dwarf Gala apple tree.
“Trees are an inspiration for beauty, challenges, faith, and literature ~ a gift from the Creator.”
Sue Anne Foster is an artist educator and outspoken advocate of inclusion. She has a BS in Interior Design, MA in art therapy, and a PhD in Education.
A founding member of the international Labyrinth Society, her own 3 redwood trees are models of being rooted and grounded. She likes to touch their bark and hug them, even though her arms don’t reach all the way around.
Sue Anne brings her world travels home to the community. She has coordinated 7 Tibetan monks demonstrating sand mandalas at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento.
“My round is a circle of life that reflects my heart and cultural interests, with the message ‘hug a tree and another human'”. The backside is an embossed 11th circuit labyrinth, an ancient path of pilgrimage, and is reminiscent of the rings of a tree.
Artwork by Sue Anne Foster, Story by Phawnda Moore
Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson is a children’s book author-illustrator with two forthcoming titles: The Mochi Makers (2024) and Shell Song (2025).
Her current interest is in mixed media collages. These three rounds were created with watercolor, pencil, tempera paint stick, ink, embroidery, tissue paper, and cut paper.
They were inspired by the belief that all people, like the trees, belong on this earth.
Artwork by Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson, Story by Phawnda Moore
Sharon’s two daughters also contributed:
Lauren, age 9, is interested in art painting, mixed media collage.
She created this artwork depicting many of the things she loves, including nature and trees, which she loves climbing. On the backside, Lauren wrote a poem about “being you.”
Isla, age 14, enjoys pencil and painting.
She created this artwork with pencil, marker, and watercolor. She followed the lines and shapes in the handmade paper with pencil and marker and paint then added water to bring out these patterns in the paper.
Pam Avery is an abstract painter and ceramist in Sacramento, CA. With an MA in Art Education from California State University Sacramento, she taught high school art for 21 years.
She exhibits her art in the state fair, galleries, museums, colleges and hospitals, and has been featured on educational broadcasts.
A dancer, Pam brings a sense of gesture and movement to her paintings. Each one creates a space and world of its own through colors, shapes and textures to excite the senses while remaining light and airy.
Her round, with a monochrome tree on each side, embraces trees in the delicate drawings.
Kimberly Louise Bellissimo-Andersen brings experience as a successful fashion designer to her studio to create unique mixed media art, often with texture.
“I have always thought that trees are very magical and healing. If you listen, they speak to you.
My project began with the new AI technology called Dall-E.
I requested an image of Mother Earth as a Tree. I loved the idea of the Tree encompassing the earth and set out to create such an image with miscellaneous craft items on hand such as string for the trunk and moss for the leaves.”
Kimberly also wrote a beautiful poem for the backside.
Artwork by Kimberly Louise Bellissimo-Andersen, Story by Phawnda Moore
Treewhispers 