The Muse

The concept of a muse is that it serves as a guiding spirit, or source of inspiration. Driving past a huge hollow tree one day, I turned around and risked life and limb to stand in the road and photograph his hollowness from several angles. Afterward, as I drove on, I began to image all the things that could live or hide within a giant tree. At the time I was trying to come up with an entry for a how at the Harlow Gallery in Hallowell. Suddenly, the gallery appeared within the tree, and the image of hopeful artists scattered among its broken limbs and roots, striving to fulfill the age old need of putting faces on thoughts. The funny thing was, the piece was passed by in the Harlow jury process and no one realized it was actually the gallery within the hollow. Later, when it was hanging in the Blue Marble Gallery in Waterville, someone finally figured it out. It was later used for the Harlow Gallery Fall Festival T-shirt fundraiser!

ORIGINAL SOLD, limited edition giclee prints and notecards available**

Delicate Balance

"Whatever befalls the earth, befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself." Chief Seattle, 1855

"Soul Of The Twig Eater"

A friend of mine on the Art Scuttlebutt online site is a photographer- one who concentrates on detail such as a fissure in cement, or a drop of water on a leaf. She had a photograph of a piece of driftwood that she had titled "Moose" because of the obvious antler-like shapes. I asked if I could draw it. I didn't want to use the same name, but I discovered that in the Algonquin Indian language, "moose" means "twig eater". No human inhabitants of the earth have had greater respect for the natural world than the Native Americans. Every plant, every animal, every stone has spiritual significance that carries on beyond its days on Earth. Thus, the skeletal resemblance of the driftwood turned into the "soul" of the Twig Eater.

There was a customer one day, however, who thought it looked exactly like a horse. Go figure.

Original, Limited Edition Giclee Reproductions, and notecards available**

"If Trees Could Weep"

The weeping beech is truly a tree, and one with the unusual ability to multiply its weeping form rapidly by forming a new weeping beech wherever its branches touch the ground. Unfortunately, most trees do not possess this ability to replant. The world's forests need to be seen for what they are- giant global utilities, providing essential public services to humanity. They store carbon, which is lost to the atmosphere when they burn, increasing global warming. The life they support cleans the atmosphere of pollutants and feeds it with moisture. They act as a natural thermostat, helping to regulate our climate and sustain the lives of 1.4 billion of the poorest people on this earth. They do these things to a degree that is all but impossible for us to imagine. Currently, 32 million acres of forestland are lost each year, and only a fraction of that is replanted. If I were a tree, I would not be weeping, I would be screaming.

(But, just for the record, one woman looked a this tree and thought it was absolutely wonderful that my tree was laughing)

ORIGINAL SOLD- limited edition Giclee reproductions and notecards available**

"Family Tree"

Family Tree is, quite simply, my family tree: my husband Steve, who has supported my art for over 25 years, even when it cost money instead of making it; my daughters, my lovely chicas, Rebecca and Laura, who live in Colorado but who call me all the time and continue to make me feel a part of their lives in spite of distance, and my wonderful son, Matt, who calls every weekend from Wyoming, and shares his mountainous adventures. Their roots sustain me, their arms enfold me, their presence brings me joy. Quite simply, they are my life.

11 x 14" ink/mixed media

ORIGINAL SOLD- Limited Edition Giclee reproductions and notecards available**

Will also do commissioned family trees- this tree with as many family members as you like- age, sex, and hair color are all that's needed-( the people are only 3/4" tall) Contact me via email for price, etc.

"Don't Look! Hot Babe at 2 O'Clock!"

Anyone who's ever been on a beach with a bunch of guys, young or old, has experienced the whisper at an approaching bikini-clad babe "Hey, check that out", "Whoa, look what's coming our way" or, in this case, "Don't look! Hot babe at 2 o'clock!" The sentiment is the same whether man or wood. Stand still and try not to stare. It's the testosterone of trees.

Original, Limited Edition Giclee Reproductions, and notecards available**

"The Dingleberry Tree"

This tree is dedicated to Mel. The screensaver pictures of my trees are on my desktop at work and are of great interest to her. One day she called me to tell me that she had taken a picture of "the coolest tree ever" and she wanted me to draw it because it was covered with bulging deformities that she called "dingleberries". When you work in a veterinary clinic full of sick animals, a dingleberry has only one meaning, and it's exactly what you think it is- not a nice thing to have. In truth, this poor oak is covered with the results of a disease that cause the limbs and branches to develop hundreds of rough black knots. In the right light, such deformities become interesting and different, even beautiful, earning it the distinctive title "The Dingleberry Tree".

Original, Limited Edition Giclee Reproductions, and notecards available**