Once again, my new painting coincides with a recently finished book. “The Overstory,” by Richard Powers, It is a wide ranging, wandering fiction centered around the evolution of forests on Earth and the threat posed by industrialized humanity. The story follows a central cast of characters who come to the realization that forests are much more complex than we know, and they change their lives in an attempt to protect these incredible ecosystems. Trees communicate with each other through a vast underground network, warn and assist each other by sending nutrients and chemical messages. Trees also influence us using aromatic aerosols, like when you walk through the forest and notice a profound mood shift. These forest characteristics are realized over centuries and millenia, much longer than human lifespans can comprehend.

The painting on the right is the latest from the easel at PatternArt Studio and Gallery. This piece measures 24″ x 48″ and is seated in a handcrafted Oak frame. This is a dramatic view of the dense, shadowed temperate rainforest where the sun breaks through the canopy, illuminating this majestic Spruce trunk. The color on this trunk is not what you would expect, vivid cerulean and indigo blues next to scarlet and violet pigments.

This painting along with many more forest images will be on display at Jansen Art Center in Lynden this March, exhibit dates will follow in next months blogpost.

STUDIO NEWS: I have outgrown Studio #3 at the Morgan Block Building and as of February 1, 2021 will be moving up to the third floor to occupy Studios 13 and 14. This will be a much larger space where I will be organizing a Gallery space as well as taking advantage of the north light windows for a more expansive studio.

Feel free to share this Blogpost, along with any questions or comments, and sign up for PatternArt updates and studio news, there is a sign up box at the bottom of this post and also on the Gallery pages.