Ghost Tree Painting

In the Fall of 2020, this painting was made for an exhibit called “Seeing Red, Seeing Purple.” The curator, Ella Watson, invited artists to create an original piece of their own that included portions of an abstract painting that she created. The exhibit’s theme was in response to the political divisiveness before the election, as Covid 19 raged through the world and the hard truths of racial injustice were brought into the national spotlight once again. There was a big ash tree outside my home that had to be cut down. The finality of my divorce coincided with the felling of the tree along with all the upheaval in our country and the world. This painting is a requiem for a marriage and for the divisions between individuals, groups and ideologies. The red and blue bandage is Ella Watson’s segment, the colors of blood and sky. When they blend into purple at the base of the tree, it’s a reminder that we are all one. The tree’s tiny branches extend into the fine web of Indra’s Net in the background, another symbol of unity.