The Gorge and its Skins

May 20, 2019

Over the last three years I've become increasingly attracted to earthy palettes and the kind of details they offer.

Recently, our family took a short excursion to the Elora Gorge about 2 hrs away from Toronto for a half day trail walk. It was early spring weather, slightly overcast and on the verge of rain. The forest in this type of season is mossy and broody, quiet in a contemplative way.

Reds were not a big part of my forest palette until I moved to the colder climes of Canada. Now they are an inextricable part of the seasonal landscape and linger long after the fall and winter. These days, I find myself seeking these tones whenever I'm in a wooded area.

I'm not sure what these textures are saying to me. Only that I feel drawn to their banal complexity and richness of detail. Maybe I am attracted to their quiet existence and natural / accidental births. It's not a curiosity. I'm not drawn to asking questions about how they came to be. I think I'm just happy to have crossed paths with them as they are.