When We Became Trees

When We Became Trees, 2014. Charcoal, gouache, and hand-stitching on paper, 20 x 28” each

I am ever inspired by the wisdom of nature and the way she grows, heals, and embraces her own time.

When the collective rhythm shifts, the seasons pull, and the migrations come. And then they go. As the Pacific expands and exhales at her own cadence, the tides rise and subside, and all that was born of her belly breathe easy for they appreciate that out of this rhythm comes new growth and new life. The trees, too, know that they are on time for their lives. They release their blossoms to cultivate space for new growth, and they rest for a time to gather strength for the abundant, fruitful season that lies ahead. Their habit is always to reach for light because they understand that it is in this light that they will continue thriving.

Husband and wife find stillness in a garden of native southern California plants, all of which can be used as medicine to promote healing. As a canopy of eucalyptus shelters them, yerba santa, yerba mansa, poppies and dandelions cushion every step on their path. The flickers assist the couple in adopting nature’s perfect rhythm. Like the trees, man and woman stand confidently upright and on solid ground, in knowing that all is on time.