Trees are to Cherish

I confess, I am in love with trees, especially in summer. And the woods! The way the sunlight splashes through the leaves is magical! I've been posting photos and sketches of trees on Instagram daily, reviewing my photos for inspiration and taking new ones, and walking in the sunlit woods with my camera and sketchbook in hand.

I've been exploring using new colors trying to capture the magic of the woods.

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The trees seem to have personalities! Mythical creatures abound!

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Suddenly, today it all seems pointless. My usual bubbly self has disappeared and I don't want to pick up a brush.  I'm grieving. I have been celebrating trees while the most magnificent rain forest on earth is burning.
Is that irony? Or have I been in denial for the past few days?
Or perhaps I'm more in touch with the pulse of the world than I give myself credit for, and my celebration of trees is an important thing to do right now.
With each photo and each sketch, I am saying to the world--and to myself--

"Look!
Trees are important.
Trees are beautiful.
Trees are to be cherished!"