‘Metaphor for life’

“Towards a Blue Planet” (color pencil on wood), by Massachusetts artist Stacey Cusher, in the group show “Everything Leaves a Mark,’’ at Kingston Gallery, Boston, April 3-28.

She says in her artist statement:

“Trees, forests and flowers are iconic and an endless source of inspiration.  In drawing these, I locate different textures and emphasize the shapes of trees and differing values in graphite or blue color pencil to speak to their sturdiness and the capacity to withstand these times. They’re a metaphor for life. We have a constant relationship with them. As Sara Maitland, author of From The Forest, describes, “[r]ight from the beginning, the relationship between people and forest [and flora] was not primarily antagonistic and competitive, but symbiotic.”

“And from the slow process of creating drawings, floral paintings and animal portraits found in these gardens, forests and in unexpected places, a meditative presence occurs.  There is a grandeur in nature and a spirit.  Creating scenic worlds, even in still life paintings, segue into wonder, daydreaming, and contemplation.  A child-like feeling occurs when anything seems possible: infinite immensity and infinite possibilities.’’