Sculpture by Roane

Spirit of the Tree, Yew. 20 inches by 19 inches by 13 inches. Private collection of Mr. and Mrs. William O. Jankovski.

This absolutely unique piece grew from the burl (where the trunk and the roots come together) of a Yew (you know, landscaping bush) that I dug out of the foundation plantings in the front of my house many years ago. It was destined for the burn pile and then I noticed some red in it and thought perhaps it might be pretty if I did exactly what I ended up doing.

This sculpture has so many facets that one is hard pressed to count them. One thing is sure, you have a new sculpture every which way you turn it! You can imagine things in it, or as I prefer, simply enjoy the beauty of the abstract shapes which I think suggest the spirit of the tree – it was, after all, the very heart of the bush that so beautifully adorned my front door until it crowded the company when they rang the door bell. So now the spirit of that tree lives on in a new form, a sculpture which preserves its essential spirit.

I love trees. Coming from Eastern Montana where trees are hard pressed to grow, even along streams, I really appreciate trees. My grandfather settled the open prairie at the beginning of the 20th century, and the lack of trees bothered him deeply. He spent a lot of time tilling the soil around the dozens of trees on the high rolling plains where he and Grandmother worked so hard to carve out a living from the arid soil. I think I inherited that love for trees, because I don’t seem to feel right about things if I don’t plant a tree or two every fall or spring.

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