Life is about being grounded while also reaching for your dreams. This is what I see in this image. I love this place in the forest and return to it many times. I know it well but it continues to amaze me. The combination of the enormous rock and the old growth cedar tree makes it a spectacular sight to see. Both natural elements command the attention of any hiker passing on this trail.The image communicates a powerful message of courage and determination to me. What really impacts me is the natural energy emanating from the subject in the image.

On this day, the fresh dusting of snow makes it particularly magical and ephemeral. The first winter snow is a peaceful and calming experience. It is the denouement of the year, here, in the northern hemisphere. The forest is tranquil and there a sense of inner harmony here.

The rock itself is interesting in its enormous size, shape and coloring. The cedar tree beside the rock is probably at least a couple hundred years old. This tree is older than me and its existence spans a few generations. The Squamish First Nation people of the area refer to the cedar as the tree of life. The rock represent strength and it marks the place where the tree is rooted deep into the earth for so many years. The tree leans into the open sky reaching for the light which has sustained its growth over the centuries. Both natural elements share a common destiny and purpose in this environment.

When I walk here I am compelled to walk up to the tree and the rock and place my hands on both. Doing this helps me connect to the meaning of the place and what it represents to me. It is a place where I find strength and inspiration. This tree and rock help me connect to something that is so much greater than me. That’s comforting and inspiring at the same time. The image makes me remember the balance between what is today and the vision I have for tomorrow.

It’s time for me to share more of my thinking behind this Loving Art Project. I want to show greater clarity about the vision. I hope to articulate this with greater detail in future posts on this blog. Essentially, my dream is to continue with the Loving Art Project and see it unfold around the world. I hope to continue this work beyond the places that I know so well and to reach as the cedar reaches to the sky. My roots here in the Sea to Sky area of British Columbia, Canada,  give me solid ground but like the tree I must start to grow and reach out to realize my dream.

I will need your help. My vision for this work is collaborative. I would like to create permanent LOVE installations around the world with your help. The rock in this image marks a place of meaning and so too is the art that is inspired in this place . The Loving Art Project locations could serve as a way to connect people and communicate a much-needed message in the world today. It is my belief that artists and the creativity they harness can help heal a modern-day society that is desperately looking for meaning.

I hope you will join me in this project as it grows. Please follow the blog so that we may stay connected, informed and collectively inspired. I am learning how to lead this project forward through the vehicle of social media.  I continue to further define the journey and the resources required to realize the vision. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post and I look forward to your reaction. Most of all I hope you will share in this dream and believe in its potential.