Trees and Nature: My Sanctuary

During my process of becoming a woman and a mother, I have realized that I am very much like a tree. This realization has had a significant impact on my work. I view the oppression and liberation of women and nature as interconnected. In my artwork, nature represents power, energy, and spirits of place as female deities.

Trees represent strength, endurance, and fertility. It seems as though they carry the weight of the world. Many of them have been around longer than any of us have. Can you imagine the things that they have seen? I often wish that I could look inside their memories.

Trees are my muse. I am always admiring and observing them. I'll pay homage to these kindred spirits under the heading "My Sanctuary", because they are sacred beings and natural environments are sacred spaces. There is one tree in particular that I used to drive by everyday. She was my favorite. I watched that tree throughout the seasons and was inspired daily by her grace, so I named her "Grace". She was very old and started to decay as time passed. Thankfully, I got a picture of her before her family cut her down.

I still look at that empty space everyday and catch glimpses of her spirited thighs anchored deeply into the earth and her weary arms reaching towards the heavens giving praise to her creator. She still inspires me to be more like her everyday. As I get older, I hope to grow stronger, wiser, and more graceful despite the weather or season just like my favorite tree "Grace".