White-throated sparrows are singing in cold, blustery Petersham. Back in Oklahoma that would have announced the onset of winter. Here in the north it ostensibly heralds spring, which at this point is a mere promise; I’m still dressed in down and wool. As oaks, maples and birches groan and wave their bare branches in the freezing wind and crows fly backwards, I peer through streaming eyes and try to sketch with my pencil wrapped in a stiff bunch of somebody else’s fingers. That’s when I remind myself: I signed up for this. And I wouldn’t have it any other way, except maybe a few degrees warmer.
My time here in Harvard Forest is turning into a delightful cram course in history, archaeology, and ecology (with side trips into ornithology and local cuisine). My project as outlined in my Bullard fellowship is thus: to study New England landscapes and historical sites being reclaimed by the forest, to dig into farm ledgers, letters, and other material and give names and stories to the ruins, and by blending and mixing together all this great material, to draw a unique portrait of the forest and its cultural and environmental heritage. And I could add, to dress warmly and boldly go..
My project is going gangbusters, and with the indispensable help of Harvard Forest archives (and archivists) and the awesome, knowledgeable members of the Petersham Historical Society, I’ve been gifted with reams of detailed history and personally guided to haunting and likely haunted ruins deep in the forest. And, boy, are there ever a slew of stories to share: drama, commerce, humor, and tragedy are written in stone around here. More to come as these stories unfold.
A sugar shack in New Salem boils tree sap down to syrup, releasing vaporous clouds of deliciousness.
Drawing The Motmot 
Oh, they so did pick the right person for the project. You are squeezing every drop of exquisite detail from this historic place.
I like how you handled the background in the white oak piece. Those single strokes still evoke the tree-ness of trees without being overworked. Nice solution!
Thank you for sharing in your unique way. Your so expressive in art and words. We love and miss you.
Sending some wood warblers your way. Hopefully will arrive on a warm front mid-week.
And I await with baited breath the explanation of ‘Beech Hell.’ I guess one thing to say for the cold weather and leafless trees is that it allows you to really see the form of these striking trees. Soon their skeletons will disappear in vegetation.
The pictures are beautiful. You are blessed to be able to do this project, see all this beauty, learn all this history. We are blessed because you share it. thank you so much.
I second Sarah’s comment about the tree marks in the background. of the gnarled tree picture. And the bottom tree with the pale blue sky…I’m in awe of the background there where the sky is the positive and the brush and leaves are the negative shapes. Fantastic!
Do you know the word “pleach?”
I was going to ask you, thought the better of it, then looked it up on Google: http://wordsmith.org/words/pleach.html
Thanks for the vocabulary addition!
Hope you had your woolies on today. Wow, what an ugly mess! We woke up to 1-2 inches of snow, then as we drove through Colrain, the snow picked up and so did the sleet. By southern Vermont, there was 6 inches of sloppy stuff on the road with mud underneath, making it impossible for us to get up the dirt road to our cabin. Of course, by evening it was all gone.
I’m not sure when spring will finally slip through this region, but it’s easy to miss. One day will be like today and the next, it’s hot and steamy.
I was glad for those “crows flying backwards”. That’ll stick like Frost’s crow that sprinkled down snow on him and made his day. Great posts and drawings. What the hell did those settlers do to that poor tree?
This is fascinating & sounds so interesting… wonderful art work too.
That tree is so abstract! Awesome illustration though.
beautiful artwork, you’ve expressed trees essence so wonderfully.
& planted a litle seed of inspitation for me 🙂 a reminder to take paper and pencils on my next outing with my camera.. want to have a go at drawing my favourite tree now:)
Beautiful! Your work is very inspring. I love the colours and textures that you manage to work into the drawing.
That first picture is beautiful and has so much energy. It reminds me of the work of Charles Burchfield.
Steve Schwartzman
http://portraitsofwildflowers.wordpress.com