If a Tree Falls in the Laurentians

Over the past number of years, I have had a chance to Alpine ski race and train in the Laurentians mountains in Quebec. On a recent trip in the summer, I remember visiting the area and was struck by how different the lake and majestic mountain looked in the summer. But what most caught my eye was a particular birch tree that had fallen but was still being propped up, almost as if the surrounding trees willed it to still be upright and alive. I then thought more about the conversation that the trees might have had and thought more about talking trees in Lord of the Rings. I really enjoyed painting this work because of the combination of different trees that exist in the scene – both deciduous and coniferous. I also placed a canoe in the scene because I wondered what it would be like to explore Lac Tremblant by water, something that, one day I plan to do. I called the painting “If a Tree Falls in the Laurentians” as a play on words on the famous saying because the central part of the painting is the idea that man wants to be "one with nature." In reality, however, we are intruders into nature, and if a tree falls in the absense of man, is its death heard?

Size: 48x36