As I approached the ANATOMY prompt for our current sharing of artwork this fall, I was taken by the opportunity to share my thoughts about the many trails I walked all summer into the fall of 2021 that are found in our Canadian Escarpment land north of Lake Ontario. The local and distance trails have been truly a lifeline for so many families and individuals during the pandemic days.

The forest lands are beautiful, and mysterious and share many stories that I have been holding for just this post… Sadly, the arrival of the gypsy moths in May of 2021 destroyed the entire leaf structure of most of the Birch and Oak, the most fragile of our local trees. The arrival of the menacing moths meant that young and old trees would be faced with the dearth of the new leaves and the food that would save the trees over the summer. As you see in my quilt, the bark was changing. There were fissures and loss of the bark and many insect attacks that caused the hundreds of trees to fail. Needless to say – we are sad and worked very hard as a community to save the trees and ensure that the moth invasion was under control.

We love the many intricate and beautiful growths, and bark imperfections that come naturally to the anatomy of the forest trees. They are thriving on the same water and sunshine we do. They stand with us in welcoming the return of the many birds and animals that live in, on and under their amazing branch and root structures. They share their sap for syrup, a welcome gift. Their berries and leaves, albeit carefully foraged and respected, often end up in my dye pots. Oh, and the mushrooms.

The trees suffer through heat, cold, drought and storms and the beaver. Our forests are a haven for the beautiful, rare birds and many strange and wonderful climbing, birthing and yes, very hungry migrants that take on the inner spaces that are created by the birds and the insects that infest or seek refuge inside them. Unique marks left by the woodpeckers are everywhere we turn.

So why am I sharing my simple quilt that just shows some of the photos I snapped as I walked, talked, recorded, and thought of the variants in damage or rebirth. And why am I creating such simple memories in pieced and stitched cloth? The elements, ever changing sights, and especially walking with dear friends like my hiking pal, BEVERLY WHITE, seen in my quilt (you must look for her) and the many friends human or otherwise along the trails who are my ‘inside connections’ ensure that I am aware, learning and documenting… then making. The ANATOMY of a tree is no different than a human’s – we live, thrive, grow and yes, we die in time.

I had fun pulling these photos in the quilt together – and yes, they are printed on cotton and off my little Studio printer…but a fun memory of the summer and fall walks that provided the sights and sounds and unique photos you have seen here.

Bethany Garner, h 40″ x w 34.5″, Commercial batiks and photos printed by the artist on cotton, Machine pieced and quilted.