TREE TRUNKS ARE GREEN Seeing the world: The essence of art. 06/27/2018

“Tree trunks are brown… they are not green!”

That was my first grade teacher protesting my painting all tree trunks of the brightest viridian. “Tree trunks are brown!”

Not so according to my young self. The most beautiful tree trunks are GREEN.

I had seen some moss covered trees while on a walk with my parents and loved their soft, cushiony appearance. They were the prettiest ones, the ones worthy of my curiosity and my allegiance; the ones I wanted to paint.

I felt my teacher’s remonstrance as a total injustice – not acceptable to an Aquarian - and a great insult to my sense of style and color… I still do!

Moving forwards… My favorite skies are crimson or violet, I prefer foliage when it turns red, orange or yellow, the colors of sunrise. I am open to refutation but you better have a great argument.

I grew up in the sixties; space and time had been redefined: Monet had been painting light, Picasso was mixing planes; reality was being redefined.

I did not know any of it at the time… but I held to my preferences: my tree trunks remained green and my grades appalling.

Yesterday while walking on the beach in Costa Baja, Mexico, I discovered a palm branch on the floor. It was encrusted with very hard little beige flowers. I am not sure if they were the sepals or the calyx of the palm. They looked as if they were made of wood.

My old school teacher returned to my memory, riding her broom back into my life. Ahahah! flowers are made of wood!

It is quite a few decades and the woman certainly lies under a brown colored earth but it felt like a little triumph.

Brown is death.

Green is life.

Flowers can be made of wood! I have seen them.