*Generations
one-of-a-kind art from salvaged Michigan trees
(complete artwork, above, and detail, below)
by Andy Carter
Generations
Day 27 — March 7
The art of Andy Carter is made from dead trees, rotten logs, sawmill waste, and suburban trees that have been trimmed or cut down. Andy loves the patterns and textures in these materials: the odd growth patterns, tracks insects have gouged out, knotholes, stains, and the strange sculpting that time has carved.
His website says, “What I like best about the things I make is the way they evoke thoughts of the outdoors. So, while it’s just something hanging on your wall or sitting on a table, when it tugs your thoughts to the woods, it’s kind of like having a window into the outdoors of your imagination.”
When Elizabeth and I came upon his art at a festival, we were fascinated by it. Never before had we seen the beauty of wood captured in this way. And I was especially intrigued by the history of each tree or branch that is a self-contained time machine, each growth ring a record of a year back in time. The oldest tree on this panel is about 100 years old.
Elizabeth loved history, and she was particularly interested in traveling back in time to learn about her family history. She enjoyed tracing back family lines and making connections with stories and places. She was ecstatic to learn that she was related to Winston Churchill!
In January of 2019, she shared this story on Facebook: A week ago I met one of my 11th cousins. We have 10x great grandparents in common, one of whom lived from 1555-1631 in Suffolk, England. I just happened to contact a genealogist here in Denver and coincidentally we are cousins. We all have 11th cousins but I never thought I would meet one!
On our last trip to England in September of 2013, the most important place Elizabeth wanted to visit was a tiny community named Great Elm, about 15 miles south of Bath, England. It is the home of her Izant ancestors, generations ago—a sacred place of her heritage and history. Like tracing the years back on the rings of a tree, it was our own experience of time travel, tracing our fingers on the stones carved with the Izant family name.
Izant family tombstones at Great Elm, England, and the two of us at Bath.
Day 27: the art of love and loss
view all posts at kentmueller.com
February 10, 2020, was the day my wife, Elizabeth Izant, entered the hospital. She and I were on a hopeful journey following her heart transplant five months prior. On March 1, she entered hospice and died March 11. This series is not about her medical journey. This is about sharing stories and reflections about our life together. In our 29 years of marriage, we collected a piece of art or two each year, often in celebration of our marriage anniversary. Each day from February 10 to March 11, I will be sharing an image of that art. And a story.