Conversations with a Tree Series
This series was inspired from studying a tree’s shadows that projected onto my bathroom wall. The tree shadows reminded me of Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” where the people chained to the wall believed that the shadows of the people they saw were reality because they did not know otherwise. I found myself fascinated with the tree’s shadows and wondered what if these shadows, not the tree, was in fact the reality?
From June to December of 2016 I photographed the tree’s shadow as it grew taller and fuller with leaves until it once again found itself barren. I digitally manipulated the tree shadow photographs to created complex patterns of lines and colors from the shadows, my found patterns. I transferred the lines derived from the shadows onto the watercolor paper and began the process of painting. This process allows me to reduce the tree into a form that is completed divorced from its recognizable reality. It is a way for me to express the complex world we live in and remove all the dimensionality so that I can reveal what the eye does not. I want my gouache paintings to abstractly depict the energy of the tree’s growth through line and color. I want to show people that once all the recognizable, separate pieces are removed we can see everything is still connected.
The Following photographs are the finished paintings in this work in progress series. There are more paintings in progress and pictures will be added upon completion.
***Note: once higher quality images are taken these will be replaced with those.
(NOT YET PICTURED) 6. In Between a Fractured Euphoria, 36in x 36in, Gouache and acrylic on watercolor paper, 2019, $800
(NOT YET PICTURED) 8. NOT YET TITLED, 48in x 24in, Gouache on watercolor paper, WIP
The Following Photos are the "In Progress" pictures of this current series....more progress pictures to come as this series continues.....