Reclaimed Ash - 60" x 48" Fresco Painting - Shelley Vanderbyl

60" x 48 plaster fresco on wood panel

Collection of the artist.
From the catalogue of the Hope, Healing , and Contemplation show:
"With its scars and imperfections, [Vanderbyl's] work reflects deeply personal events in her own life that resonate with the viewer. Reclaimed Ash, a piece she says that she will likely never sell, includes marks made from the charred branches of her beloved apple tree that became diseased. She planted it to literally “put down roots” in a new home and keep track of precious stable years in one place. The tree is no longer hers, and she has moved homes, but the tree provided her with the opportunity to reclaim its ash when certain branches had to be cut off. That ash became part of the textures of her paintings. Remembering, through works of art, helps us to hold on to the things we love. A work of art can aid in bringing to mind what really matters; something complex, or elusive, that can be grasped at its core." - Leona Herzog, 2018