After the Fire

40" x 20" x 20"

Space-dyed rattan, wood beads, acrylic paint, oak base, repurposed cat food bags, repurposed livestock feed bags, twining, weaving

After the Fire represents the regrowth of the Colorado forest after a lightning-caused wildfire. The Sylvan Fire in 2021 devastated an area south of our home near Sylvan Lake State Park and I hiked to the area to witness the damage first-hand. I vowed to create a piece yearly after the fire to illustrate the regrowth of the forest year by year. Fireweed (Chamerion augustifolium) is one of the first plants to colonize after a vegetation disturbance such as a fire. The vibrant beauty of the magenta flowers contrasts with the stark black burned pines in the otherwise denuded landscape. Gradually, other grasses and plants will return. I recognized that wildfires are often unavoidable and that they can be renewing - fire clears out brush to allow for new regrowth. Beauty can and does emerge from disaster.