Leafy Prayer
I think that I shall never see
A poem as lovely as a tree
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast.
A tree that looks at God all day
And lifts its leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me
But only God can make a tree.
-Joyce Kilmer
American writer and poet
This painting was executed for a show at the gallery in Columbus, OH where I have my work. The show is in honor of Poetry month which is in April. All of the artists in the gallery were asked to pair with either a contemporary poet or a favorite historical poet and create a piece of art to reflect a poem. I chose the poem above, which has been a favorite of mine for many years.
The background of the painting is gold leaf, both 18 and 23k, which was applied to the surface before I painted the tree and surrounding landscape. After the gold was applied, the surface was sealed and glazes in pale blue were added to the background to create the sky.
I had great fun working on this painting and it sold the weekend it was hung.
