Tree Stories and Land-Scapes speak in a language that communicates my story in a unified voice. The trees are quiet storytellers; large and majestic with barren weathered limbs, free of foliage. They whisper their tales into a knowing ear, passing on their wisdom with steady grace.
Land-Scapes explores the foliage, shadows, light, wind, sky and beings who inhabit the earth. Together, they create a bond unique in telling my story of family, history, enduring strength, shelter, protection, healing and nurturing energies.
My development as an artist arises from my heritage as well as my surroundings. Growing up in a rural community nestled in lush pastures, I found quiet, comfort, and true beauty in the rich colors of the encompassing landscape. I began my early watercolor years with landscapes filled with wild green fields of grasses, shapeless pine trees and cool blue cloudy skies.
I am fascinated by the wisdom and beauty that come from nature, a subtle bend in a tree, a blossom or single twisting branch. More than trying
to accurately display the image, I wish to deepen my experience and explore the underlying story. I ask myself what I feel when I see the light
come through the trees, when the wind rushes through the branches, when I stand on the soil of my ancestors, the women I am descended from.
Growing up in the 1960’s, my foundation was formed by environmental, social and political changes. The contrast of my covertly liberal family with a strict Roman Catholic community provided me with the ability to choose the values that truly resonate within me. I was unaware at the time of the imposed values that were being internalized in me, only to be awakened many years later.
The woman’s movement propelled me into the awareness that not only did I have the right to equality, but to take ownership of my own voice. I reflect back on the impressive values of responsibility for myself and my actions that were handed down by my mother, grandmothers, and aunts.
