About me and the initiative: This art is truly for the tree huggers.  There are several things I like and appreciate about doing this type of art.  For one, I like the idea that the texture of the piece is the result of a natural organic material.  It is not the product of some unnatural chemical product.  I also like that I have to go into the forest to gather the materials to make it.  I have to find a tree with the right type of needles that I take off the ground back home.  I then get to work with those needles for dozens of hours learning all the nuances and details of every needle because very needle has to be laid one by one.  It would be great if the needles were all similar and I could just throw them all down quickly and create a finished product I appreciated.  But they’re all a little different, some very different.  Which is good yet a little challenging.  Good because it allows for the creation of different types of forms and figures.  A little challenging because I often have to sift through a few needles or more to find the right needle to be placed.  It can be quite the process!  But in the end I have this product that is a scene that represents the origin its creation.  And the final step that kind’ve completes the cycle is that a portion of what is made will go to preserve and protect what led to the creation of this piece. 

 

I have dabbled in various artistic endeavors for several decades.  This is the latest undertaking I’m pursuing.  Full disclosure, I am not a full-time artist. I’m an academic. I’m a very poor American phd student pursuing my fifth degree in forest ecology at Czech University. At one point, funding had mostly run out from my program and I had to look for alternative sources of financing my education. I’ve always dabbled in art ever since I was a kid and knew if I was going to consider art to fund my studies I needed to come up with something unique in order to stand out. One day walking by this Douglas fir in the Czech Republic, I saw it’s pine needles on the ground and wondered if I could use them to create some sort of landscape. After a few couple months of planning and experimenting, this is what was produced.

If I could pursue art full-time that would be great as I have numerous ideas for pine needle landscapes. But it wouldn’t be the only thing I would do as I’m very passionate about helping people and the environment. I have my own initiatives I would like to pursue including raising awareness about how climate change is affecting forest ecosystems and how the environment affects public health. I also feel it is very important to protect our forests which is why ten percent of all sales will go toward initiatives for preserving forests and reforestation. Hence the concept for my art: the art supplies come from forests, they’re used to make artwork of forests, and that art will be used to protect our forests.

 

There are two main ways I hope to do good with my work.  For one, donating a portion of sales to initiatives for preserving forests and reforestation.  One initiative will be the World Wildlife Fund that works to protect millions of acres in the Amazon and throughout the world.  The second initiative is 1t.org which is involved in responsible reforestation efforts including making sure a diversity of trees are planted in suitable forest environments.  And I will gladly supply receipts for donations made to these initiatives.

 

The second way I hope to do good is through knowledge dissemination.  I’m in my 11th year of college and with a few degrees and having studied several fields I have many ideas for getting the word out about how climate change is affecting the environment, how the environment impacts public health, and numerous other issues. 

 

Pursuing art is a difficult situation because it’s not important for me to be recognized. Hence why all social media for this project is about the forests and not my name.  Yet in the art world buyers tend to prefer artists with high name recognition for various reasons.  Don’t get me wrong, it’d be great if people really liked my work.  But in my opinion the work itself does little to better society and the environment.  It’s through the artwork and what I hope it represents that I hope to do good.  Yes, I really enjoy putting these pieces together and know I’d be happy doing many many more, but doing so is a selfish endeavor for me.  On the other hand, if I knew I could help society and the environment with my work, that would be the ultimate achievement for me with this project.