Tree Skirt.

 I take the shapes and forms I observe in the natural world and bring it all inside to my studio. The earth's wisdom informs my art. That is why being a gardener and artist is a perfect combination. While most of my studio time is spent creating mixed media paintings, I also love to make clothing. Clothing is three dimensional, it's functional and I find it can capture amazingly the inspiration I receive from my time spent outdoors.

 I created this skirt to blend amongst the trees. As a little girl, I used to climb high into the branches of a giant hemlock in my woods, sitting for hours reading books and watching the squirrels. To this day, I find immense peace surrounded by branches and foliage. This is probably why I instantly loved the Roman myth of Daphne and Apollo. To avoid Apollo's aggressive advances, Daphne runs fast through the forest, eventually turning herself into a tree so that he can never own her. I can imagine Daphne's feminine form zipping through the forest and then slowly morphing into the swirling trunk of a tree, pissing off the powerful Apollo. Something about this image deeply appeals to me. Maybe it's the idea of graceful femininity triumphing over aggressive masculinity. Maybe it's the idea of running buck wild through the woods, escaping what we don't want. Or maybe I want to be a tree. Who knows.

Regardless, here is my Daphne tree skirt, inspired by the trees and Roman myth. I made it from crocheting square of different greens, backing them with a shiny brown material, and then layering them like leaves. The skirt closes in the back, corset style, with a green ribbon. Swirling, crocheted green tendrils hang from the waist of the skirt like vines.