Can’t See the Forest For the Trees
39″w x 27″h
Fiber sculpture, mixed media: sycamore bark, rayon embroidery thread sculptures, and dryer lint.
2026
Sometimes the smallest details hold the greatest wonder.
This piece began with an unexpected gift—a large bag of sycamore bark from the father of a fellow artist who thought I might discover something beautiful within it. For nearly a month, each piece of bark was carefully softened, shaped, and coaxed into a new form before becoming part of the composition. Inspired by the intricate black, white, and golden patterns of lichen I’d admired for years on Pacific Northwest trees, I found the perfect opportunity to weave that fascination into the work.
The title offers a gentle twist on a familiar phrase. Rather than missing the larger picture because we’re distracted by the details, my hope is just the opposite—that viewers become so captivated by the quiet beauty of a single tree that, for a moment, they forget there is an entire forest waiting just beyond the frame.For
