Introducing “The Stories They Carry”
Tree Artwork on Display at Hoffman Center for the Arts
See and hear about eight of the sixteen pieces from “The Stories They Carry,” original art by emerging artist Alana Garrigues (yours truly!) on display and available for sale in March 2022 at the Hoffman Center for the Arts in Manzanita, Oregon.
The three-person show, titled “Resplendent Wood,” includes paintings, sculpture, and cabinet making.
These trees are all part of the Mother Tree Holds the Stories series, an ongoing fine art series that explores tree rings, trunks, roots, bark, and more, and the history that they hold.
Show Statement for “The Stories They Carry”
The Stories They Carry is an act of quiet reverence for trees. The question “what do they speak when we listen?” guided me.
The larger pieces, created on reclaimed plywood from my sister’s home, invited me into imagined stories of what their lives could have been had they reached old age. Their stories are a complex mix of gratitude and reparations for the intimate relationship between trees and my family’s livelihood and craft, one grandfather a woodworker, the other a lumberman.
The medium pieces explore memory, in wisps and bursts, and the small pieces celebrate playful possibility and diversity of the biosphere.
Gallery Website:
https://hoffmanarts.org/events/march-2022-gallery-show/
“The Stories They Carry” Show Images and Purchasing Information:
https://hoffmanarts.org/artist-portfolio-alana-garrigues/
Class Info for “The Artistry and Poetry of Trees” (in-person workshop on March 26):
https://hoffmanarts.org/events/workshop-poetry-artistry-of-trees/
Class Description
Stop for a moment to look at the trees around you. Inhale slowly and consider all the wisdom and information they provide along with the clean air you are breathing. Their rings and bark hold centuries of knowledge from the storms they’ve weathered to the communities they’ve housed. Deep underground, their roots communicate through a vast network of fungi. Through seasons and constant change, they continue to grow and adapt.
This workshop is a love story of personal relationships with trees and an offering of gratitude for what they bring to our lives.
In the first half of this workshop, we will create a collection of small tree ring paintings after studying basic biology by examining photographs and tree rings and trunks.
The instructor will provide multiple techniques (watercolor, collage, ink, etc.) and support experimentation. While mediums are drying, we will do guided freeform writing exercises inspired by tree poems. Participants will be encouraged to share in a space that celebrates first drafts.
During the second half, we will put the finishing touches on the tree ring paintings. The goal is to leave with 4+ pieces of art, either 4×4 or 6×6, and a renewed passion and appreciation for the stories that trees produce and inspire.
Materials Provided:
Each participant will be given a minimum of six up to a maximum of nine pieces of acid-free artist paper, 4×4 or 6×6 inch, plus a small kit of tree stories and inspiration. Artist quality watercolors, high flow acrylics, ink, and acrylic ink, along with access to Micron pens, teacher’s brushes, oil pastels, plus charcoal and graphite tools. Collage papers and glues are also available for complimentary use.
Note: shared supplies will be limited, and waits may occur for select tools; therefore, you may wish to bring some of your preferred art-making tools, including brushes and media. For personal precision, you may want to bring your own scissors or compass.
Materials Needed:
A notebook and pens or pencils for the writing portion of the workshop.