The Art of Trees

• by Stephanie Johnson

I have a long-held fascination with trees, and I have spent many hours walking among trees in woodland areas.  Trees are life, and their energy can be palpable when immersed in quiet solitude in the middle of a forest.  Their roots are a web of communication, and they are deeply connected to this physical space we see, but also to a world we cannot see below the surface.

The past several years, for me, have been an exploration of creativity and art through the lens of my camera.  I’ve been primarily focused on expressing myself through the use of Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) and Multiple Exposure ICM (ME ICM) to create unique visons of the world around me, and trees have always been an important subject.

My goal with the work I do is to create images that evoke a sense of wonder and to spark the imagination.  I am much less interested in representing the subject in literal ways and much more interested in expressing how the subject feels for me, or how I felt in that particular moment of being immersed with the subject.  Being present in the moment, and creating in the moment, are important aspects of my art and creative expression.

Using less-than-traditional methods of working with the camera, I am able to reimagine the world in new ways that can transform any given scene into something that appears to be one thing, when in fact it might be something completely different.  For example, in this next image, these trees look and feel like winter trees in snow.  In reality, I was immersed in the midst of these trees in the middle of summer, and in using the Multiple Exposure ICM technique, I was able to create the illusion of a winter scene in the high desert surroundings of New Mexico.

We often associate trees with magical worlds and freedom, and I think this is one of the reasons I am drawn to trees.  I am always in search of magic and freedom—magic that reveals itself on the back of my camera and freedom of expression.  My hope is that these concepts shine through in my images and make the viewer feel something.  When I am immersed in the natural world, among trees, I feel connected to the energetic flow of energy that exists in all things, and I hope my images encourage viewers to make deeper, more meaningful connections to the inner and the outer landscapes for themselves.

I am extremely grateful to be a part of the Artistam International Art Magazine project, and for this inaugural issue of the magazine dedicated to trees, I hope you will be inspired to see things differently, to reimagine the world in new ways, and to make art that only you can make, and to share your unique vision in a world that needs your creative expression to flow through you.  Art has the power to heal, just as trees do, and the world needs your art.