cambium
cam·bi·um
a layer of delicate meristematic tissue between the inner bark or phloem and the wood or xylem, which produces new phloem on the outside and new xylem on the inside in stems, roots, etc., originating all secondary growth in plants and forming the annual rings of wood.
The vascular cambium forms tissues that carry water and nutrients throughout the plant. On its outer surface, the vascular cambium forms new layers of phloem, and on its inner surface, new layers of xylem. The growth of these new tissues causes the diameter of the stem to increase.
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I am working on paintings for the upcoming Legacy of A Promise show responding to the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, and I find myself exploring trees. I feel such different energy than when I work with birds. I feel the bottoms of my feet firmly anchored, attached to roots that descend into the deep substructure of the earth. Time is slow and sustained, as if I am reaching back through hundreds, even thousands of years. I feel weight, stubborn power and impenetrable wildness.
Trees are time travelers and witnesses. With their stems that grow and remain through dormancy, they pierce into the future from the past. They house and support multitudes of organisms, including humans. As they grow, simultaneously from without and within, they clean the atmosphere and utilize the complex detritus left behind in the forest. The ancient trees, especially those found in the primary forests, are an enormous mystery. Yet when I am with them I feel safe, as if I am on hallowed ground..
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