Tree of Life Block Print

 Here is my (rather large) Tree of Life wood block print as a good wish to all for an adventurous 2025. I made the paper from a large fig blown over on the Edison Ford Estate in Fort Myers during Hurricane Irma. I boiled the wood pulp in lye for days and pressed out one large sheet of paper. The block took months to carve out and I did a two step press - one for the windy background using Cranfield Gold Oil then after the gold dried for a week I had just one opportunity at a hand press of the Live Oak Tree of Life press. Holding my breath when I removed the block I was inspired by the finished one of a kind print. The art is multilayered too in breath. A small swing invites one to come to the oldest of ancient life forms - plants - a tree, a Florida Southern Live Oak, Quercus virginiana. The human belief systems, from the eons of age Taiji disc & Buddha leaf & those symbols of early African-Persian times to the more nascent world views of Christianity & Social movements are all nourished, nurtured and given refuge by the Tree of Life. Plants have been the major life form on our planet for mostly 500 million years (500,000,000) whereas our homo-humans probably about 200,000 years. The Trees of Life have been around 2500 times longer than humans. I think it is an honor for a tree to be the host of our existential spiritual/cosmic art. I was blessed in doing the research for each world symbol during the preparation of the block. I literally made energy connections with peoples from around the world and from ancient of times. But I found my grounding in the tree. Perhaps this is why I love 站樁, Zhan Zhuang. May you be blessed and filled with Qi. Kevin - Yuan-Xiu Song