Maria took this photo of herself a month ago out in her beloved woods, it’s one of my favorite photos of her, I don’t know anyone else who would have taken it.

The woods are healing and inspiring for Maria, they are her private, safe and creative space, she and Fate go out there every day.

I suspected the image would lead to some art one day, today’s the day.

Maira is working on a beautiful fabric painting called “The Twin Healing Trees,” she plans to sell it although several people have already asked her about it.

I saw a photo of the painting, a work in progress, on her Instagram feed this morning and went over to her studio to help make a video of it. It is a fascinating window into how art is aborn and how life becomes art around here, there is not much space between the two things.

I can feel Maria’s connection to nature in this photo and this work, and I never tire of seeing how her extraordinary and very artistic mind works and is always working. She has faced fear in life, but not in her art. She knows where she wants to go.

You can follow the progress of this work on her blog, I have the feeling the piece won’t be hanging around here for very long. This one has a special feeling for me, I feel the power of the trees.