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.