As a child, I had a towering oak outside my bedroom. It felt like my own personal protector. As an adult, I still search out trees when I need to feel grounded. This connection to the trees has always been with me, alongside the conflicting emotions of using such life forms for human consumption.

Trees have always been part of my art. In my earlier work, I photographed them. In more recent works, I incorporated them into encaustic paintings. These new assemblage pieces expand on that by using found objects to add new layers of depth and meaning.

A powerful narrative emerged as I combined found objects with my photography for this series - a blending of sacred and desecrated. There is both a peaceful reverence and a subtle discomfort created by the wood objects and tools used to surround each central tree image. A visual representation of our complex relationship with the trees.