How do you say goodbye to a sanctuary? For twenty years, a quiet wetlands habitat in Oregon was my anchor. It was a vibrant, living ecosystem where water run-off from nearby fields wound its way through a network of old trees, journeying steadily toward the sea. To the developers clearing the land, it is a line on a map. To me, and to the various species that called it home, it was a sacred space with a living soul.
For years, I fought to delay the plowing under of this creek and its protective canopy. But ultimately, my objections could not compete with commercial development. Starmill Creek faced imminent destruction.
It is a heartbreaking reality that leaves you feeling entirely powerless. Most people see progress when a tree is cut down. But as a Pacific Northwest mixed media artist, I see the loss of a beautiful, living being. I have always felt a profound connection to the Spirit of Place—the distinct energy of ancient trees and flowing water. In Greek mythology, a tree spirit is called a Dryad. When I asked the universe how I could honor this vanishing landscape before it is covered up forever, this image came to me in reply:
‘Starmill Dryad’: A Mixed Media Tribute—
To preserve the memory and the spirit of this wetlands habitat, I poured my grief and reverence into a new fine art wall sculpture. This original 12”x24” piece, titled ‘Starmill Dryad’, stands as a visual witness to what we have lost. My creative process reflects the fragile and layered beauty of the woods, itself:
I began with an original sketch, capturing the resilient expression of the tree’s spirit. I scanned the drawing into my digital illustration program and printed it onto multiple, delicate layers of translucent tissue paper. Using tissue paper collage techniques, I layered the prints to build depth, giving the dryad a soulful, ethereal quality that shifts with the light.
The surrounding texture indicates the tree trunk. I hand-painted various types of papers with earth-toned colors, tearing and shaping them to recreate the look of birch bark peeling away to reveal the spirit within. Then I sculpted the layers of ‘bark’ to look like they were peeling away. The result is a striking 3D mixed media collage that celebrates the strength, resilience, and enduring spirit of nature in an allegorical manner.
We cannot always stop the machinery of development, but we can refuse to let these places be forgotten. ‘Starmill Dryad’ honors these beautiful beings and the memory of what they were. While the original trees are gone, the spirit of Starmill Creek will live on through art.
Connecting to the Living World: My Hope for This Piece
When someone stands in front of ‘Starmill Dryad’, my deepest hope is that they feel an immediate, visceral connection to that living world. I want this artwork to evoke a sense of quiet reverence—a reminder that nature isn’t just a backdrop for human activity, but a living, breathing entity with a spirit of its own.
I hope the gaze of the dryad halts you for a moment, inviting you to feel both the heavy grief of environmental loss and the fierce resilience of the natural world. If looking at this piece makes you pause, look a little closer at the next tree you walk past, and recognize its inherent value, then my art has done its job. It is a portal to remembering our deep, unbreakable bond with the earth.
