Spirits of the Tree

[avad]

Took another beautiful walk today- this time with a specific destination in mind-to visit a big strange (2
faced/headed) tree I had seen before...



to photograph and sketch it and pay
homage. In India, growth forms like that would be revered as signs of a
goddess/gods... whole villages making shrines around them, painting them,
adorning them with flowers, making puja offerings, etc. I find that SO
beautiful/moving somehow. I really wanted rub oil on the 'faces', (like I've
seen in one of my favorite photo books-BEAUTIFUL flash website here: Meeting God:Elements of Hindu Devotion), and I even brought some fragrant lavender/sandalwood oil with me...but there was too much
bark and lichen attached so I didn't. Photographed and sketched it instead. It was the only way I
could avoid looking toooooo odd staring and Being with this tree for so
long as people and cars went by.;)

Comments

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

The gramadevata reminds me of the genius loci. I had fun picturing you pay devotion to that tree. The flash animation took a while to download, but was worth the wait.

burls

[sibyllam.livejournal.com]

They are called burls on redwood and other Sequoia trees here in the West. I'm guessing they'd be called the same there. Anyway, out here there are places (mostly State and National park gift shops) that actually sell them. They cut them off the trees and sell them. If you put them in water, then a new tree will sprout from it. In the forest, if the tree is damaged severely (fire, drought, lightening, etc.) to the point of death, then the burls become active naturally.

[solarfields.livejournal.com]

Thank you for posting that Meeting God flash site ... it was beautiful.

I absolutely adore trees, they amaze me. I used to have a tree I "visited" on a regular basis, and there's a tree standing over my mother's gravestone which I find comforting.. like someone old and wise watching out for her. I don't know anything about trees though!

[jothoma.livejournal.com]

what a wonderful tree...

OH NO NOT BURL FACES!

[captainbigwig.livejournal.com]

I remember way back in HS our shop teacher got annoyed with the burl on the tree and cut it off. He brought it in to class and made it into a bowl on the lathe.

A neighbor carved them into faces. After that people were carving faces in to tree stumps in our neighborhood. Though they last maybe 5 yr before the termites get to them.

I just saw your website I love your topograhic artwork! It's so unique and original.

PS How is southampton? I've never been out there yet i live in lindenhurst.