My family moved to Minnesota when I was nine years old. One of the things I remember most clearly from those years is discovering birch trees.
Their white bark seemed almost impossible to me—bright against the darker woods, peeling in thin paper layers that caught the light in a way no other tree did. Even now, they retain a sense of magic. Whenever I encounter a stand of birches, I find myself slowing down to look.
As a child, I imagined they whispered to one another across the forest. Years later, I learned that trees may communicate in ways we are only beginning to understand, sharing resources and signals through networks beneath the soil. The science is more complicated than the stories I imagined, but it leaves me with the same question.
This painting grew from that curiosity. The trees stand together, distinct yet connected, holding a conversation that remains just beyond hearing.
What do the birches know that we don't?
Original mixed media painting with acrylic and metallic foil on canvas.
I'll send you an exclusive fine art print as a welcome gift. After that, you'll receive occasional letters from the studio, early access to new paintings, and the stories behind the work. I write infrequently and only when I have something worth sharing.
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