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In 2006 an enormous maple tree fell down behind my studio, thankfully missing my studio
and neighboring houses. The following year we worked to harvest the remains of this tree and stack it for firewood. It has provided heat for our
home durng the long Maine winter. During the process of harvesting the tree I had time to think a lot about trees
and what they provide us. I also thought about all the ways they enhance our lives with their beauty and shelter
from the elements. I was reminded of the three huge elm trees that used to live on the playground when I was in kindergarten.
I remember sitting among the huge root system with my friends. The roots seemed to cradle us from the wind during recess. Today there are
no trace of where these magnificent trees were. They died of Dutch Elm disease many years ago. The children that play
there now do not have their shade and their roots to shelter them from the wind. It reminded me of how fragile trees are.
I began to wonder about the viability of our old growth forests. Will they survive when we run out of fossil fuel and begin to
look for alternate sources of energy to heat our homes? I hope we will be wise enough to preserve these trees rather than just seeing
them as something to consume.
This "Tree Series" was produced out of appreciation and concern for our old grow forests. It is my hope that our grandchildren will know of
their strength and grace and that they will have memories of some "special tree" in their life. |
"Friends"
inspired by a stand of Osage Orange trees that grow
behind my son's home in New Lebanon, Ohio
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