our forests
The first forests grew up nearly 400 million years ago, enduring through mass extinctions, dinosaurs, and freezing ice ages. However, since the evolution of humans, half of all trees have disappeared. Every minute 2,400 trees are cut down. That means that a forest the size of a soccer field is cut down every second.
Today, our forests are home to half of all species found on land. Whether regulating and improving the water supply or stabilizing our climate by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, this rich variety of life is responsible for keeping many of our most natural systems running. Our fate is inseparably entwined with that of the forest.
We have much to learn from the ancient wisdom of the trees. Using the “Wood Wide Web”- an interconnected root system beneath the forest floor- trees communicate, share resources, and warn each other of threats, revealing a profound level of cooperation that transcends individual survival. Older plants use their deeper root systems to give nutrients to younger plants in need nearby, dying trees send their own food reserves out to their neighbors, and cut-down stumps are kept alive for centuries thanks to the life-saving sustenance from other trees. They know their lives depend on the health of the whole forest- even on beings very different than themselves.
My paintings attempt to capture the electric magic of this living, breathing and constantly changing ecosystem. These saturated portals are an invitation into Mother Nature’s lush vibrancy, and a reminder to get outside to share in her aliveness.
We must act to preserve our forests before they disappear forever. There is no planet b.