Surreal Salon 16 Exhibit

Baton Rouge Gallery ("BRG")
January 2-31, 2024

Seven Surrealists

As a child, I remember my mother always saying, "Eat your orange or you're going to get the scurvy" That connection with my painting came full circle after finding out more information regarding these Arborvitae trees that I had painted. It turns out that in 1536, it was discovered that a tea made from its bark and leaves cured scurvy, and so it appropriately received the name "arborvitae," meaning "tree of life" in Latin. The Tree of Life represents harmony and balance in nature, rebirth, and a connection of the Earth and the spiritual plane of existence. Arborvitae is a gentle yet powerful spirit that inspires us to honor our roots. Arborvitae inspires us to discern what is true during this time of creativity and new beginnings. It is up to us to search for truth, find our voice and honor our roots so we can move forward with increased clarity and purpose.

Here in the Midwest, it's customary to wrap our Arborvitae trees with burlap before winter so the deer don't eat the leaves. From my very first time seeing this, I have been intrigued by these en wound, spiritual trees. To me they represented the epitome of surrealism.

Every year during the late Fall, I look forward to encountering various groupings of these burlap-bearing entities. And yet, I can't help but feel a deeper sense of intrigue with these proud, mystifying beings, as if they are pulling me into their world. I never miss a photo opportunity if I see a grouping of them commiserating off the side of the road. There was one photo in particular that I took one foggy, frosty morning that I loved. I wanted to explore its wonderment within a painting, but the time never seemed right until this year. There was something inside me that said that this needed to be done, and as with most of my paintings, its purpose and its timing were leading me on to explore the possibilities with this surreal image I had. And so it was done.

As with all the good in this world, there is an opposing evil, and the Arborvitae tree also faces a variety of challenges with pests and disease. In this painting, I believe in a subtle way, that those elements have been magnified to convey disgust while subliminally mirroring how we have been treating the Earth and each other. These trees seem to be on a mission to uproot and move on to greener pastures elsewhere, but at the same time, they are going nowhere. Maybe as we wrap them and disturb the natural feeding cycle of wildlife, we symbolize that we have also been neglecting that same nurturing to our fellow man.

"The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born; now is the time for monsters". -Antonio Gramsci