Climate Conversations: Creation Care at Gallery 206

The Climate Conversations: Creation Care at Holy Comforter exhibit in Gallery 206 has gotten off to a great start. Maura and I lead an artist talk and tour of the exhibit. Maura put on her Data Scientist hat and shared the Memory Tree data we have gathered from the previous exhibits. The most mentioned tree for the Memory Tree installation is Willow. This has been a great exhibit to curate. 

 

A Prayer for Mother Earth on Mother's Day

A prayer for Mother Earth on Mother's Day

God by whom our fragile earth is blessed,
make us servants of your creation,
respecting and protecting all that you have made.

Teach us the joy of field and flower,
the splendour of forest and tree,
the grandeur of ocean and river.

Make us yearn for a world where all may flourish.
Show us how to walk gently on the earth and
hold all in trust for future generations.

Watercolor on paper, 8 x 10, Mountain to Sea Trail Misty Morning

Climate Conversation Drawing 17

Climate Conversations:

• I love the gingko tree in our front yard and love to see the leaves turn golden in the fall.

• I love our fig tree – it produces too much to enjoy. Started out as a little stick and now provides shade to our yard.

• Growing up, there was an enormous Japanese magnolia tree in my backyard. Every spring it would burst into full loom and by early summer the petals rained from the boughs.

This tree drawing is on pale yellow paper that is heavily textured, 18 x 24. This cedar tree in the North Carolina Mountains was heavily scarred. It was not dead, but was splitting very badly in some places. I used a full range of light and dark values in the center of the tree, then used less contrast at the edges of the tree. 

 

Climate Conversation Drawing 16

 

This drawing is on watercolor paper. It is the darkest of the series so far.

Conversations:

I last climbed a tree as a child in my parents’ backyard.

My favorite tree was my neighbors’ tree with a tire swing

The future feels bleak, but thanks for trying, trees.

Trees absorb a great deal of water! Drawing 15

Climate Conversation: My favorite tree is the willow oak in our front yard in Fourth Ward. It shaded our home for 40 years. We pruned it and raked its leaves all the time. When it came down, we had to add a sump pump under our house to handle all the water it absorbed [had been absorbing].

Drawing 15, 30x20 inches, graphite on paper

Fall Open Studio - Next Weekend!

Join me for my Fall Open Studio on Saturday November 13th (12 to 5) and Sunday 14th (12 to 4). I will have many, many drawings and paintings on display and for sale. My studio is in the McColl Center on the 3rd floor. Address: 721 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202. Park on Tryon Street or behind Charlotte Ballet.

See you there!

Climate Conversation drawings. 

Cityscape paintings. Above South End at Flower Child.

Cityscape paintings. Above South End Hawkers. 

North Carolina trail drawings. Waynesville, NC

North Carolina color pencil drawings. Blue Ridge Parkway field, also on the Mountain to Sea Trail. 

North Carolina color pencil drawings. Wedding Tree, Laurel Springs, NC. 

North Carolina paintings.  Blue Ridge Parkway field, also on the Mountain to Sea Trail. 

   

Drawing 15 Complete!

This is drawing 15 in the Tree Series I am working on. It is part of a future exhibit I am calling Climate Conversations. This is 22 x 30 on printing paper. 

The left edge of the tree is almost lost and very light in value. The tree has a very scarred texture. Looks like many nails were driven into the tree in the past. Many circular marks as well that I found fascinating. This was a combination of trees on the Penland Property. 

Climate Conversation Exhibit

The 1st of many Climate Conversation Exhibits. The McColl Center Take-Over show allowed me to test out a few parts of the concept. This included drawings, 3D public interaction, fiber and process sketches. Eventually I would like this to be a group exhibit with other artist interested in climate issues. 

Large fiber pieces. 

Public interaction about how climate effected folks or their favorite memory of a tree in their life.