Saturday, May 01, 2010

SouthWest Road Trip

Roots

We're on a road trip, heading south, and since I choose to take limited collage materials I'm making do with what comes to hand. I found this photo of a tree in southern France from a few years back and combined it with some maps that I picked up along the way. The highway map reminds me of  the root system of trees in  a harsh desert climate as they reach deeper and deeper to find the water they need to survive. 

Water falls into the deep canyon of Zion National Park where it nourishes the trees along the river.


Snow fell on us the day we were in Bryce Canyon in southern Utah.

8 comments:

  1. Hi Jo

    I love your road map roots...they tell so many stories on different levels...and remind me of a saying by Robert Bly

    We are not here to remain whole,
    we are here to lose our leaves like the trees
    And to draw up again from the great roots.


    Happy days

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  2. Thanks for your lovely comment, I never realised how seeing all those squares together would make me feel. It's amazing, once we start looking, how much wonderful material is out there to use, or not.

    Love the tree with the falling water behind. Have a great time.

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  3. love this collage. yes, roots going deep, to find nourishment and life!!

    Wonderful photos!!

    Enjoy your trip!!

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  4. Your photos are amazing! Enjoy your trip!

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  5. Your road map roots really go deep- love the collage combination and your beautiful photos. Your trip inspires me to visit this part of our country.

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  6. Oh the map-roots are wonderful! It looks like you're having a great trip!

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  7. Thank you for the poem, Delwyn. I've copied it onto the back of the collage.
    Mary, Paula and jgr, the juxtapositioning of the tree and the root-like road map was sheer magic; it happened on its own as I shuffled through papers. That combination will appear many time in my future work, I'm sure. I've been especially interested in trees lately and with all the road maps I've collected I know the two will continue to inform my work.

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  8. Oh Jo, I LOVE the roots! I have been saving a ROOT bottle of wine, have you seen it? they print right on the bottle and it shows the tree roots going down just like you did with the map, and then there are words all around it. I thought it would be very cool with the type around the roots. THis is even MORE witty thought. You are so creative!

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I appreciate comments and questions.