Rooted
I love roots�living their secret quiet lives hidden from view. Sometimes the shoulder of a root emerges from the underearth, providing a place to rest or lean, but mostly they remain below the surface. While we enjoy the canopy of the trees, sweeping and swaying above our heads, they live their life beneath our feet in service to a part of themselves that dwells in a different world. They provide strength and stability to the tree�s structure, and acting as a conduit they carry rivers of mineral enriched water necessary for life aboveground.
I have always been drawn to the tangled mass of a downed tree�s roots. The contrast of the intertwining web with the trunk, and the more ordered branch structure above intrigue me. I love that roots often have the ability to grow again after the tree is cut down, but not all are capable of doing this. I mourn for the acres of stumps, and for what has been taken from them.
The term �rooted� may refer to a stem with newly emerging roots, to something that is deeply and firmly established, or to an origin or cause. One may feel rooted to a place, a culture, a religion, family, or a set of ideals. Roots such as these influence our thoughts, worldview, and even behavior.
What are your roots? Where have they originated? In what way do they nurture you? Some of these answers may seem obvious to you, but most may require a journey within, following the tendrils to that deep center we each hold.
Some of the paintings in this collection are rooted in those questions and referential to the inner life that is part of each of us. Some focus on the material aspect of the trees amongst us and the loss of our forests now and moving into the future. These are painted as memorials to the trees that were.