Big Woo — Chapter 1, Flowers

The “Big Woo" series came out of a solstice ceremony I attended in Washington DC at the U.S. Capitol Building grounds over two decades ago. Native American advocate, Suzan Harjo, asked us to pray for the Potomac River and its surrounding vegetation. I'd never thought to pray for a river or land - only humans. Suzan’s heartfelt request on that day of prayer had a profound impact on me, turning my focus to the trees, plants, rocks, and soil making up the landscape.

Almost every day, I walk the forests close to my home, taking in beauty and energy from the surroundings. The prints begin with landscape photos. Photos are transformed through the vectorizing of pixels into imagery representing the living energy of trees, plants, water and rocks. Layers of lines and color are overlaid using digital collage to create a complex texture.

I'm pushing beyond the natural scene & explore the energy lines of ripples and shadows, dark and light, death giving way to life. As I dissect the natural scene further, I see and create lines between contrasting areas - these lines represent the inherent energy - the life force. My prints are my prayer for people to understand the interconnectedness and complexity of life in all beings.