Deb Coolidge

Trees are my muse. I’m particularly interested in old growth and witness trees with a life span unlike ours. Their outer skins are gnarly furrowed and unique to each kind. I start by wrapping paper around their bodies to capture the intricate markings of the bark with graphite. Bringing the images back to my studio I lightly go over the paper to reveal any hidden details. These become templates to develop a composition of lights and darks, subtleties, complexities as if discovering the tree's hidden language. It is a meditative process about stillness, communication and interpretation.
Tai chi is a meditative act through movement. the more time one spends with the practice the more complex it becomes. It is slowly revealed. The overlap of working visually and physically, mentally strengthen and enrich each other.