For a long time, I’ve wanted to paint a Tree of Life—one that invites a sense of wonder, abundance, relationship, wholeness.
This painting has been a pilgrimage of the imagination and also one of improvisation. Spirit and matter in conversation, “prayer” is a good, one-word way to describe it.
I learned a lot about the liturgy of my Christian faith, about mixing my own earth-friendly oil paints (thank you, Natural Earth Paint), and about who I am becoming (and really, always have been) as an artist.
Working on this project reminded me of a childhood summertime ritual. For a number of summers, my mom and dad let me choose a poster-size coloring image with its own markers. My very first one was an abundant bouquet of flowers. I would spend the whole summer bringing them to completion. Somewhere in my archives, there’s a photo of that first poster, but alas, a search for it only rendered an enjoyable scroll down my creative memory lane.
I’ve shared the following information before, but it bears repeating that the elements in this Tree of Life painting, originally created as a series of forty 5″x7″ watercolor paintings in the Wonders of Worship (WOW) series, represent different parts of the liturgy:
| Gathering | Nest with Eggs |
| Prelude | Robin |
| Invocation/Sign of the Cross | Two Branches Crossing |
| Procession | Orioles |
| Greeting | Woodpecker |
| Prayer of the Day | Acorn |
| Word | Balm of Gilead Green Leaves |
| Thanksgiving for Baptism | Shell with Ginkgo Leaves |
| Advent | Blue Dragonfly with Indigo Plant |
| Kyrie | Mourning Dove |
| First Reading | Oak Leaf |
| Psalm | Bluebird |
| Second Reading | Maple Leaf |
| Gospel Acclamation | European Goldfinch |
| Gospel | Blue Spruce Sprig |
| Christmas | Spider on Rose of Sharon |
| Epiphany | Honeybee on Sunflower |
| Sermon | Pinecone with Seeds Dispersing |
| Hymn of the Day | Cardinals |
| Creed | Mushroom |
| Prayers of Intercession | Praying Mantis and Maple Seed |
| Peace | Olive Branch |
| Meal | Wheat & Grapes over Lichen |
| Offering | Hazelnut |
| Dialogue and Preface | Hummingbirds |
| Lent | Caterpillar on Lenten Rose |
| Confession & Forgiveness | Lily of the Valley |
| Holy, Holy, Holy | Song Sparrows |
| Thanksgiving at the Table | Snail over Moss |
| Lord’s Prayer | Pomegranates |
| Communion | Baby Birds with Open Mouths |
| Easter | Luna Moth |
| Canticle of Praise | Chickadees |
| Post-Communion Blessing & Prayer | Vine and Figs |
| Sending | Homing Pigeon |
| Blessing | Unfurling Fern |
| Sending Song | Starlings |
| Dismissal | Dandelion with Seeds on Wind |
| Pentecost | Firefly near Red Flame Lily |
| Time after Pentecost/Ordinary | Green Inchworm with Trillium |
You may detect the pattern used for the elements:
- Music = Songbird
- Prayer = Seed and/or Fruit
- Word = Leaf
- Order of Service = Element of Nature
- Season = Insect with a Flower
Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Tree of Life!
I remain deeply grateful for this work commissioned by a project with Nourishing Vocation with Children at St. Olaf College, a program funded through Lilly Endowment’s Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative.
vonda drees art 