What: “A Tree in the Woods” – an artist talk with painter Kate Thayer and metalworker Steve Joslyn with expert advice from arborist Steven Carroll
When: 1pm, Sept. 11, 2021
How much: Free and open to the public
Prideful Beauty by Kate Thayer
“A Tree in the Woods”
Two artists and an arborist discuss the importance of trees in the landscape
The Gallery at Flat Rock is excited to present a special artist talk on Sept. 11, “A Tree in the Woods,” focusing on the vital role trees play in the landscape. The talk will feature two Gallery at Flat Rock artists, painter Kate Thayer and metalworker Steve Joslyn. Joining the discussion will be Steven Carroll, a self-proclaimed ‘tree doctor’ who is passionate about preserving trees within landscape for the further health of the wider ecosystem.
Kate says that she is often looking at trees as they change, over the course of a day or multiple seasons, within the overall functioning of the plant landscape. “All my paintings are of places I have been to in Western North Carolina,” says Kate, who moved to the area from Wisconsin. “My technique is to create colors and textures with oils that represent the movement and vitality within the forests through all the seasons. The changes in the same scene over time has captured me.”
by Steve Joslyn
Originally from the Midwest, Steve launched Joslyn Fine Metalwork in 1985. He recently moved to western North Carolina and continues to create finely wrought pieces in ironwork from his studio in Arden. In his bio, Steve says how he’s drawn to the beauty.
of nature. “When you consider the struggle of the plants and animals over the eons of time and have adapted to survive—their beauty and variety, these are things to be celebrated,” he writes. “I have no real interest in copying nature directly but to capture its inner significates and the miracle if its existence… I want my work to be a reminder of the beauty that surrounds us but so often is taken for granted.”
Steven Carroll
Steven, an arborist with Schneider Shrub and Tree Care, will get to the nuts and bolts of tree care during the talk, specifically how to be good stewards for the trees we might take for granted in our landscapes. “I do strictly plant health care,” he says. “We do save a lot of trees, but we do a lot of preventative maintenance… We have different kinds of nutrient programs, and disease and insect control programs that we can apply.”
While Steven occasionally gives talks in the community, typically with garden centers and Master Gardener clubs, he is looking forward to combining what he knows with a discussion of artists’ views of the trees in the landscape.
