“Tree of LIfe,” Witches Hill, Juodkrante, Lithuania

Bass-relief “Tree of Life” carved from an oak trunk in my backyard

Inspired by the monumental Lithuanian folk art wood sculptures that I saw in Krackas, Lithuania in 1995, and the “Witches Hill” Ted and I visited in 2005 in Juodkrante, Lithuania, we commissioned this bass-relief chisel and chainsaw sculpture for our Springfield backyard in 2006.
The bass-relief feature allows it to pick up a nice “architectural” dusting of snow this time of year. Isn’t it beautiful?
A word of caution: we learned it is much better to let the sculptors use their own seasoned logs or trunks than to chop down a tree to have a sculpture made. The sculptors have plenty of seasoned wood, and they work better in their own studios than outside, on site. Green wood is also a terrible challenge for longevity, and being attached to the ground, through the original trunk and roots, accelerates wicking, cracking and decay. I’d like to know their secret for outdoor wood preservation at Juodkrante!