The teenage ginkgo tree outside my window wears its fall colors in the process of decay. The weather determines how long it will cling to its vibrancy before one or two rough, cold, and windy days will tear the leaves from branch and then its skeleton remains until spring and it all begins again. Nothing drives the notion of year’s end like that yellow ginkgo out there, holding fast and enduring the torrents of life. Yet it stands as a reminder that this day too shall pass, and that life goes on without us. The rest of us are clinging in our special way, too.

When that tree is full of yellow leaves, I know it’s only a matter of two to three weeks at most before they all fall, and the next phase is the cold that keeps you in. I look forward to that period, when the traffic slows, fewer runs to unnecessary places, and the overcast skies light the room with an ominous hue. It’s my favorite time to work just inside the window. The light won’t last, the night comes in sooner, and I know it’s cold out there. A creatively productive hibernation period.

My solo exhibition next fall is foremost for me now. I have plans on plans for pieces yet made, and my two week art periods are dedicated to hitting the ground with them. The concept of the guardian angel, the guide, and the protector comes to the surface. I’ve had a lot of conversation with my clients surrounding this theme lately, and the stories I’m told reinforce the idea while breathing life into a vision for work I intend to make regarding it. My own stories will be soon be told in this work.

The ginkgo tree in its yellow decay reminds me of a particular story where divine intervention felt real and almighty, and it was a cross roads where I had to make a choice. I remember seeing these old prints of the guardian angel hovering over young children about to blindly take a step off a cliff or into the street. She (it was always a she) pointed to danger for them to see. But these scenes were isolated at the point of mere presence. You don’t get to see what happens next, but we’d all want to assume that she saved them from certain doom.

As I wrap up my tattoo weeks with this theme pervading my mind, what will happen in the next two art weeks is still not clear. I don’t get to see what happens next in a lot of cases, but thematically, I feel it will be a more positive experience than the previous one.

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