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Elm, Loose Park |
TreesI have always found my sense of God outdoors in nature. Trees are my cathedrals, my places of worship and meditation, where I go to be with God. In silence, I hear the creaking branches and rustling leaves and I am at peace. I smell pine tar and lie cradled in fallen needles. Great Cottonwoods along rivers and forests of tall pines give me comfort.These giants have been with me all my life. Our
yard in Smithville had Oaks and Maples, Catalpa and Weeping Birch, Pine
and Locust trees, Redbuds, Junipers, and a huge Magnolia. I played
in their shade, climbed their branches and swung from them. I’ve
discovered insects on their trunks and pressed their fall leaves in waxed
paper. Now, wherever I travel, I look for the trees.
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| I set out to create an appreciation of
trees. These photographs are a collection of portraits; of individuals
as different from each other as humans are. Scars, disease and growth
in response to location and weather conditions contribute to each tree’s
individual character. Trees are majestic, delicate, old, young, static,
and kinetic. Trees are silent witnesses to Man, they bear the scars
of our passing: Carved initials, rope swing burns, tree house nails, poster
staples. Trees are guardians of time. Trees record droughts
and floods in their rings. They’ve seen Man move into North America
at the crossing of the Bering Strait. Trees don’t die of old age.
Trees fall prey to cancers and parasites, funguses and rots. These
beings are almost completely at the mercy of their environment. Their
defenses; thorns, toxins, bark and wood density are all passive.
For myself, trees are magnificent beings with a deep spiritual connection. How do you look at trees? How do you feel in the woods? Look around your yard, your neighborhood, your city and look for the trees. |
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| All images and content copyright 2001 by Malinda Welte, all rights reserved. | |
