2024 Field Gallery Show

About Trees

“The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing which stands in the way. Some see nature all ridicule and deformity… and some scarce see nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself.” William Blake; Poet, Painter, Printmaker. 1799.

My work for 2024 is an expression of affection for trees that has its roots in life-long experiences in the natural world both on and off Island. Of course they are everywhere on the Island, and we can celebrate the work of numerous conservation organizations that have succeeded in protecting significant tracts of land that are home to the wide variety of trees and the ecosystems of which they are a vital part. Islanders and visitors can immerse themselves and find wonder, solace and connection in these protected places, but the joy of trees can be had anywhere we take time to be among them.

I’ve made a dozen gilded vellum prints of trees in various island settings. I chose this unique process because it permits me to best express William Blake’s description of what trees are for me. In their great variety and in the multitude of ways trees are simply themselves in the natural world, alone or in community, they challenge my imagination’s ability to creatively depict them. This work is not a taxonomy of Island trees. More an extended visual poem, a product of affection, memory and longing.

I will continue to photograph trees across the Island, constrained only buy a failure of imagination. I’m not sure where this will take me, but the uncertainty is its own motivation and reward.

In a Different Light

Because I’m restless by nature and believe Maya Angelou who said, “You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”, I’ve undertaken a photographic project using a converted digital camera that captures Infrared (IR) light – light not on the human visual spectrum. Because the process involves light we normally can’t perceive and lends itself to striking Black & White and unusual color effect photography, the project offers many exciting possibilities for photographing different subjects. These first two are in Black & White of Nobska Lighthouse in Woods Hole and the Island Home ferry crossing Vineyard Sound. In both, clouds dominate the scene. The IR capacity of the camera’s sensor amplifies their character and beauty by capturing light not “visible” to our eyes or the typical sensor on digital cameras.

2024 Field Gallery Show Photographs

  • Soft Light, ParsonagePond

    Soft Light, ParsonagePond

    Gilded vellum print of morning fog envelopes Parsonage Pond and its tree-lined shoreline in West Tisbury, MA.

  • Pines & Cedars, Nat's Farm

    Pines & Cedars, Nat's Farm

    Gilded vellum print of September fog hugging tree-lined Nat's Farm Meadow in West Tisbury, MA

  • Picnic Tree, Tisbury Waterworks

    Picnic Tree, Tisbury Waterworks

    Gilded vellum print of a picnic table in the shade of a large Maple tree at the Waterworks in Tisbury, MA

  • Golden Hour, Tisbury Meadow

    Golden Hour, Tisbury Meadow

    Gilded vellum paint of a large Locust tree framing the gold light view of Tisbury Meadow.

  • Golden Pines, Mink Meadows

    Golden Pines, Mink Meadows

    Gilded vellum print of pine trees at Mink Meadows on the North Shore of Martha's Vineyard

  • Marsh Oaks, Farm Pond Preserve

    Marsh Oaks, Farm Pond Preserve

    Gilded vellum print of Autumn trees at Farm Pond Preserve in Oak Bluffs, MA

  • Morning Fog, Quansoo Farm

    Morning Fog, Quansoo Farm

    Gilded vellum print of embracing trees in morning fog at Quansoo Farm in Chilmark, MA

  • Golden Hour, Old Coach Road

    Golden Hour, Old Coach Road

    Gilded vellum print of rolling farmland trees along Old Coach Road in West Tisbury, MA.

  • Birch Tree Impressions, Child Field

    Birch Tree Impressions, Child Field

    Gilded vellum print of Birch trees shimmering in end to day light in Child's Field on Old County Road in West Tisbury, MA.

  • Beetlebung Trees, Makonikey

    Beetlebung Trees, Makonikey

    Gilded Vellum Print of flooded Beetlebung trees in a pond in Makonikey, West Tisbury, MA

  • Back Of The Cove, Sepiessa

    Back Of The Cove, Sepiessa

    Gilded vellum print of mixed trees in morning fog at the back of Tiah's Cove, West Tisbury, MA.

  • Swamp Maple, Priester's Pond

    Swamp Maple, Priester's Pond

    Gilded vellum print of Autumn leaves color the shore side at Priester's Pond in West Tisbury, MA

  • Island Home, Vineyard Sound

    Island Home, Vineyard Sound

    Infrared photograph of the Island Home ferry crossing Vineyard Sound from Martha's Vineyard to Woods Hole, MA

  • Nobska Lighthouse

    Nobska Lighthouse

    Infrared photograph of the Nobska Lighthouse overlooking the harbor and Vineyard Sound in Woods Hole, MA