Friday, January 30, 2009

Grove

Amber has a pine aroma when heated, and the ancient Germans used amber and burned it as incense, and called it bernstein or "burn stone."

A Lithuanian legend tells of Jurata, the queen of the mermaids,who lived in an amber palace. She fell in love with a mortal,the fisherman Kastytis and took him beneath the waves to live with her in her palace.  This so angered Perkunas the thunder god, that he hurled  a thunderbolt which destroyed her palace and killed her love.  Not content with this, he chained her to the ruins of her palace where she continually weeps tears of amber. 

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Phaeton son of Helios was not able to control the sun god's chariot when he took the reins without permission - scorching the earth. Zeus hurled a thunderbolt - destroying the chariot and killing Phaeton whose body fell into the sea. His sisters gathered at the water and wept for their brother. Zeus, unable to bear their lamentation turned them into poplar trees ringing the shore. 

Even as trees they continued to weep. Their tears were transformed into amber. 

Red Sky, Blue Leaves


Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Trees are poems that earth writes upon the sky. We fell them down and turn them into paper, that we may record our emptiness.
Kahlil Gibran from Sand and Foam

Saturday, January 17, 2009

It's the little things citizens. do.  That's what will make the difference. My little thing is planting trees. 
Wangari Maathai

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Trees are the earth's endless effort to speak to the listening heaven.
Rabindranath Tagore

Cedars


Sunday, January 11, 2009

In Cherokee legend, the cedar tree contain the spirit of one's ancestors.

Monday, January 5, 2009


Hamadryads are Greek mythological beings that live in trees. Hamadryads are born bonded to a specific tree. If their tree died, the hamadryad associated with it died as well.  For this reason dryads and the gods punished any mortals who harmed trees. 

Friday, January 2, 2009

A single tree produces approximately 260 pounds of oxygen per year. Two mature trees can supply enough oxygen annually to support a family of four.

Welcome to the world of my blog ... my endeavor to paint 100 trees or a traveling forest has begun. Three paintings so far - The Penguin Tree, The Engagement Tree and Three Trees...

Penguin Tree on an Egg