Follow Me Into The Woods

Artist Statement

Trees exist as ancients bridging the unseen world beneath the soil and reaching farther into the atmosphere than any other living thing that lacks wings. They depend both on the well-known process of photosynthesis and lesser-known system of communal information and resource sharing called the mycorrhizal network. Their wisdom and understanding of the importance of communal existence while still protecting individual needs is instructive to me. The woods are where I am most at home, where I reconnect with my childhood sense of wonder, where I am closest to the Divine.

By working with two mediums, oil paint and wool, my art practice has also become a bridge between two worlds, that of fine art and that of craft. My painting style often echoes various old masters who moved the making of art from communal guild work to the virtuoso status that seems to define “fine art”. When I am felting wool, I am replicating the oldest process for making textiles known to humankind. While initially entirely practical, feltmaking, still a communal practice in some cultures, also has become an expressive art form, and no less fine in my opinion.

Being a bridge between two worlds is not easy, but when I struggle with how I should do that, in my art practice or any other juncture in my life, I seek the wisdom of trees. My artwork is an invitation to follow me into the woods.