"Phantom Limb" 24x36 oil on boardFramed, wired and ready to hang About: This painting, “Phantom Limb”, isn’t a statement about logging, although I have had people tell me thats what they make of it. I didn’t mean for it to be some kind of statement, especially not a political one. The real story is this painting started with the title. Phantom limb, you probably know, is the term that amputees use to describe the sensation of having feeling in an arm or leg after it’s been removed. I wondered if a tree would have the same sensation, feeling their physical body long after they have fallen over or been cut down. I love how these old stumps, ubiquitous around the Pacific Northwest which are host to so much new life. Their rotting remains are a blessing for regeneration. New trees spring up from their center; huckleberry, salal, oregon grape, ferns and mosses all thrive on them. The tree may be gone but it is not forgotten.
