Eleven Eleven Elmwood

Trees protect and shelter us. 
During the Covid quarantine they became a main inspiration to my daily routine of drawing.
I decided to really get to know the ones that surround me…upclose and personal. The individuality of their bark seemed to speak to me. There were stories in there. I realistically drew them, abstracted them, collaged them.
I made my marks.

Fast forward to 2023 when I received an amazing commission:
The subject of four large collages was agreed upon. They would be TREES. ELM TREES to be specific…and on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo, NY. Buffalo, with four distinct seasons, was the theme. 1111 Elmwood Avenue. Four 1’s.

Before Dutch Elm disease the streets of Buffalo were defined by the canopy of the mighty elms. I researched the elms and the roots of 1111 Elmwood Avenue.
Along with papers from the development of the city block and the creation of the condominium project, it was only natural to follow the routes. These pieces of memorabilia are incorporated into the trunks of the elms.  The stems. The axis. 

There are thousands of hand drawn elm leaves. For me, it was an act of meditation…drawing, cutting, and then pasting. I was absorbed.
As in Mary Oliver’s poem, “When I was among the trees”…”they give off such hints of gladness”…”to go easy, to be filled with light, and to shine.”