Why Claw Tree ? #2

A Claw Tree - as I call it - is a tree that has exposed roots that appear to be reaching for or clinging to the ground.

Normally a seed falls and starts growing in fertile ground. We see the trunk and branches - but not the roots. They anchor the tree and supply its nutrients, but we don’t notice them at all.

The tree develops, but sometimes the ground underneath it changes, shifts, erodes, or decomposes. Some trees will just die if this happens; those that stay alive become Claw Trees.

As the ground disappears, Claw Trees develop exposed roots. These roots change, elongate, thicken; they develop bark and give the tree a unique look. They cling to what the tree needs to survive and provide extra support to the trunk.

The roots were there unnoticed all the time, it was the stress of change that made them visible, made them change, and made them ultimately more important than they were intended to be.

I see Claw Trees as a metaphor. They all started out in promising circumstances but for some reason the ground was not stable underneath them.

Life is like that. We start out with certain expectations and plans. Sometimes plans don’t work. Things we thought permanent are not, our hopes are not fulfilled, our hearts are broken. Situations or relationships change, shift, erode, disappoint.

When that happens our roots become more visible and important. They will help us cling to what is good and true and what we need to survive. They will help support us; they will be our answer to what life dishes out. They will define us in ways they could not before.

When I needed a name for my new little business, I tried to think of names that were artistic and clever. I wanted a name that would immediately tell whoever saw it what my stores were all about.

Well, I couldn’t get Claw Tree out of my mind, and it became clear that no other name would do. So – instead of a name that tells something about my work, I have a name that tells something about me. I hope my roots are showing….

Why Claw Tree #1

Along with many of our friends, I was fascinated by a birch sapling growing out of a large oak stump close to a favorite camping spot. Over the years, the sapling grew, but the stump decomposed. The birch sapling roots became exposed; they grew larger, and developed bark.

I made a simple sketch of this tree years ago when learning how to draw. A tree was a difficult subject given my lack of experience, but when I was finished it was recognizable as our “claw tree”.

Being able to actually draw this gave me the encouragement to continue drawing and eventually to pursue my creative urges into different mediums. It also started my fascination with claw trees.