“Trees Have Feelings” – I knew it all along!

I’m going through a … thing … right now. A tree thing!

If you’ve been reading along you know that I’m smack in the middle of reading a series about a man walking across the United States. For our protagonist, some of his deepest healing comes from the sacred ground of forests. Some of my other favorite books about healing forests are in the post I linked above, too.

I’ve talked a lot about trees in general and could link a whack of ’em but instead, I’ll just share one of my favorites here, if you’re interested.

Believing – as I do – in synchronicity and knowing – as I do – that stuff happens for a reason (especially when my ego gets out of the way) it was no surprise when a friend reached out to say… HEY!! You need to see this woman’s work!!!

Her work? A website about trees.

What did I expect? Trees, obviously.

What did I get? A magical kingdom!

I immediately reached out to the site’s owner, who happens to be named Tracy like my sister (warm fuzzies) and asked if I may highlight her beautiful trees on my blog. She liked what she saw here (more warm fuzzies) and responded with joyful exuberance (is there any other kind?). Also, she did something that nobody before her has done and it kinda gives me goosebumps: For my readers only – a special discount code TREEWHISPERER – which gives you 25% off all prints and canvases.

Friends and readers (I don’t know why I separate those words – most of my readers are also my friends. But I digress…) sit back and get ready to be dazzled!

Let’s begin at the beginning…

Tracy Mazuer is – more than anything else – an artist and storyteller. Oh, and she’s drop-dead gorgeous, too. Just sayin’. I asked her to provide a bio and in return I received this joy-filled write up that made me laugh out loud:

Tracy spent the last 25 years of her life tearing her hair out in Hollyweird as a television showrunner, writer, and director. From Bachelors and Bachelorettes to Deals and No Deals, from the Littlest of People to Biggest of Losers, from Millionaire Matchmakers to Long Lost Families, from A-list celebs to D-list and beyond, Tracy’s run the gamut.

One fateful day, while producing yet another unwieldy show, Tracy decided that instead of tearing out what remained of her hair, she would take breaks, breathe, and doodle on her desk calendar. Here’s what happened…

Trees had emerged that expressed exactly what she was feeling — chaos, frustration, with bits of light and joy. There were so many feelings packed into these doodled trees! So, as any newly-minted artist does, Tracy tore it off of that tacky desk calendar, brought it home, and magnetized it to the fridge. Her husband immediately declared her a “Toddler Savant” and Tracy’s foray into the forest took root. Tracy has now officially left “the biz” and is combining her storytelling skills with her illustrations to bring Trees Have Feelings to life.

Tracy holds a B.A. in Journalism and a M.Ed. having studied the effects of autobiographical writing with urban youth. She has been married for 34-years to her college sweetheart — that guy who called her the Toddler Savant. They have a son who is also an artist and two rescue-mutts, LizzieBelly and Hazelnut.

Folks, this smarty-pants doodles trees. And names them. And gives them a back story that reads like poetry! I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

You see, she and I are alike that way and the funny thing is that the very first tree of hers I saw is the one that resonates with me most: Ruby.

I need to digress a moment. Have you met my Ruby? Let me tell you…

My Ruby’s name is short for Rubenesque. Rubenesque is what I am and also fits her nicely. You’ll think I’m crazy to believe she responds to my treating her as a living being by keeping me safe and warm through the long winters. You (perhaps) don’t know that my husband searched high and low for her because she was *exactly* what I wanted and presented me with her about ten years ago. Though she’s grown old, she still looks beautiful and takes very good care of me. I say all this to (I hope!) assure you that she is as important to me as a family member and I treat her as such. Here is *my Ruby* as she exited the community bath yesterday:

Here’s everywhere I’ve talked about my Ruby on this blog.

PS: There is no downside to naming and talking to your car. I tell ya, you’ll take the best care of a car you love! My girl is a 2006 Sante Fe and she looks and drives like a dream. Serious, folks!

Ahem… anyway…

Tracy’s “Ruby” is also round and beautiful and her backstory is this: “Ruby was windswept, burled and scarred. She wore her age like a crown and kept her stories with the winds. Someday, she thought, I’ll share them with you but for now I must simply be.”

Seriously, people… her story could be mine… or my Ruby’s… see how everything interconnects?

This will be the only time I “share” one of Tracy’s drawings directly on this post because I’m very cognizant of copy/ pasting actual art that belongs to someone else, especially when it’s for sale. I literally took a photo of my computer screen just so you can get an idea of how utterly gorgeous it is…

Link to Ruby.

Two of my other favorites are Skylar and Jules <<< links are live if you’d like to jump over and take a look.

Tracy’s talent is not limited to her artwork, either. She’s a fantastic writer with a blog to match, found here — >>> Tracy Mazuer’s Stories

Psst Women!! I have to share one last thing with you! Look for “wow, your vagina” and see what it evokes for you. For me? Broken-hearted beauty.

So, that’s my visit to – and with – the spectacular Artist & Storyteller, Tracy Mazuer. You can like her on Facebook or Follow on Instagram (links below).

Please visit her site and if you feel moved to purchase anything, remember we have a special discount code TREEWHISPERER – 25% off all prints and canvases.

Trees Have Feelings www.treeshavefeelings.com