David Warner
David Warner – Bio of a Surprised Artist
I never knew I was an artist. I loved art but never thought I could create it. It wasn’t until Paul-André Leblanc, artist, and owner of “L’Homme qui Fait des Arbres”, invited me to work with him that I found an art medium I could use to express myself and say something to the world.
My love of trees pre-dates my love of art. As a child I first noticed a weeping willow. It was low enough that I could climb it without help from my parents. I could get high enough in its branches to feel the bliss of rising above my daily life. There was also a mulberry tree – that provided its own, sweet incentive of getting high in its branches. As a teenager I worked with trees in a tree nursery – where baby trees grow to adolescence before finding their final home. These early experiences prepared me to be a tree-lover.
A third strand in life is the one that sustains and orients everything else. My relationship with my generous, personal higher power (The creator God) has been a source of inspiration for relating to other people. I’ve learned a lot about myself and others. I’ve seen the way our stories shape the persons we are and the lives we live. This organic reality is pictured metaphorically in every tree you see. If you look closely, you can interpret the history of a tree written on the contours of its roots, trunk and branches. Each tree has a story that is easily grasped – if you take the time to notice. There are broken branches and scars but continuing, persevering life. Knots and stumps sometimes heal well. Other times the rotting holes make homes for animals and fertile material for future trees.
Some think a tree that has lost its leaves looks barren and lifeless. This art has given me an appreciation for winter and spring versions of a tree. These seasons hide buds and leaves from the cold, waiting until warm weather brings out the fullness of life lying dormant. You see a tree’s full shape better when it is not hidden behind its garments of green.