"#11, Sunnyside Series", acrylic on canvas, 36" x 36", 2010 Sold

With this painting I wanted to highlight three of the old growth Fir trees that are examples of what the forests of Cultus Lake used to look like. The fact that there are any old growth trees at all in this area is due to the efforts of local resident Oliver Wells (1907-70) who convinced logging companies and local officials of the day to preserve a few examples of the area's once magnificant forests. Thank-you Oliver. This painting is dedicated to you.

I have also added below, a short essay on trees that I wrote for the "Three for Trees" exhibit in 2002.

TREES

As the "lungs of the planet," trees are a vital part of the vast web of life. Terms such as "tree of knowledge" and "tree of life" (arbor vitae) reflect the extent to which they have permeated human culture as a symbol of the interconnectedness of life on earth. In a physical sense trees have been the building material of choice and for millennia have been shaped by hands into everything from houses to harps. But as we enter the 21st centruy and our insatiable appetite for wood exerts ever-increasing pressure on the shrinking remnants of the world's great forests, the profound relationship we share with trees is being re-evaluated, reshaped and rekindled.

To live on the West Coast of British Columbia, where the mild wet climate has fostered incredibly abundant forests, is to glimpse the past, a past where forests covered much of the earth. Although timber harvesting has long been the backbone of the economy in this area, we still have some of the largest stands of ancient forest remaining in the world. In some sense our West Coast society seems to stand in sharp contrast to the abundance of nature here, posed as we are between the old and the new. Perhaps that is what makes life here seem so rich and varied; while being able to root ourselves within the wonders of the forest, we glimpse a future full of change and challenge.

Not surprisingly trees have always played an important role in my work as an artist. Whether directly or indirectly their presence is felt in almost every painting I have ever done. Their incredibly pleasing shapes, colours and textures provide endless inspiration, and their critical importance to the health of the planet give them weight as a powerful metaphor. They inspire my soul, clean the air I breathe and hold firm the ground I walk on.