The Family Tree Project

I saw a cool idea on the Internet- a tree painted on a wall with family pictures hung on the tree. I loved it. But my landlord probably won't like me painting the wall, so I am painting on foam board.

I picked black foam board because that was the color Target had the most of, just in case I want to expand later. And I figured silver looks good on black. I debated for a long, long time about what kind of tree to draw, but the silver settled things nicely. It's a dead tree. I love finding branches striped of bark, smooth and silver. And I love the look of gnarled limbs reaching for the sky. I love old trees. I like to wonder how long the tree's been around and what it might have witnessed. There's something very magickal about a really old tree. And since this is a magick tree, it doesn't have to be a certain kind. It's not a willow, oak, or dogwood, it's unique just like my family.

Here's a bit of Norse mythology. I just had to have a dragon. He gnaws on a tree root whenever he gets hungry.

I have four pieces of foam board taped to the wall and further reinforced with nickel upholstery tacks. The foam board will allow me to pin photographs up. When I move, I can take my tree. I was going to use black and white photos, but I want to use some color pictures that I don't think will translate well to black and white. I'm thinking about putting some kind of border around each picture for unity and to hold the picture in place without causing damage from pushpins.

If you are a little smarter than me, you will do all your drawing/painting BEFORE hanging the board on the wall so your arm doesn't ache from being held at an awkward angle.

This is the quote I will hang on the tree trunk.

I'm going to add some leaves. I decided on purple and copper. I bought scrapbook paper from my local craft store to make the leaves. I decided to use a sweet gum leaf as my pattern. I adore sweet gum trees. I may be the only person on the planet who likes them. Sweet gums are the first trees to change colors in the fall. Sometimes the leaves are the most wonderful shade of midnight magick purple. I can't think of any other tree with purple leaves. I even love sweet gum balls. They make fine ingredients for protection spells.

Every day, I color in a few branches. I have three of the four panels done. Today, my Goddess spoke to me. Why don't you draw anymore?

Hmm, good question! I used to draw/doodle all the time, especially in the high school. I drew lots of circles and swirls. I drew and colored. Sometimes I would close my eyes, let the pencil wander around the paper, then open my eyes and look for familiar shapes. Why did I stop? It was brain exercise. I think it's time to invest in a sketch book.