Description - I found this stump on the side of the road after the power company came through and cleared lines near my house. My Dad helped me gather the pieces, so it’s special to me as a marker of that memory. Bois D’arc (from French meaning "bow-wood") is considered a Ghost of Evolution, meaning that in its ecology the animals and insects associated with its existence and dispersal are extinct. Known for its strength and flexibility it was used by indigenous peoples for making bows for hunting. It was also used as a cattle hedge long before barbed wire. It’s one of the hardest woods in North America, coming in as twice the strength and hardness as White Oak.
Each tree ring print is prepared and printed by hand in a small limited edition based on the number of growth rings/years, in this case approx 75. The wood is prepared by first sanding, torching, dampening and repeating until the growth rings are raised enough to print. Tree growth rings are made of springwood and summerwood, hence the name. Springwood is softer than the summerwood, therefore when heated the differences in density creates relief which is printable. Fun fact, the size gaps between the rings are also a direct correlation of how much rain was present that year.
Note: Each print is original and unique because of the subtle differences that hand printing creates.
Each print is signed by me, numbered, titled and include latitude/longitude coordinates of the tree’s origin.
