Renewal- A show about the Forest

Watching the wildfires burn in California, and wondering how much my own special forest would be forever changed by the fire, I began to think about the idea of renewal. How, once the devastation was over, the forest would regenerate itself. How it would heal from the fire, and renew itself in new ways. I thought about the way nature uses fire as its housekeeper, clearing out old dead wood and making room for new growth to emerge. It seems nature always provides for the life it supports.

As I watched and waited for the fire to take its course I decided to create a body of work representing the forest at work. It was my way of finding hope through the fear and billowing clouds of smoke. The progression of these pieces takes a journey from the early post fire stages of being bare and empty, to the sprouting of new growth, the return of the birds and animals and finally the coming of spring and eventual renewal of the forest and the animal life within it. Each is part of this is continuous cycle we are witnessing.

The mirrored elements are there to serve as reflectors of our own image to remind us that we play a role in this natural environment too. During this year of social separation, pandemic fears and anxiety, nature hitting extreme heights of storms, both by fire and water, and the general upheaval of society, I think our need to renew ourselves in alignment with the environment is greater than ever. 

I hope catching a glimpse of yourself in these natural settings will help remind you to be renewed and find the best in yourself and hope for a better future.