For growing people...

A friend who is a clinical psychologist commissioned me to make a tapestry for the common room of her practice. The idea was to have a piece of art that could be used as a way of honoring staff when they have reached milestones, such as a certain number of years of employment or completion of a professional degree. The name of the practice is Greenhouse Therapy Center and their motto is "For Growing People," so a tree image was the perfect starting point.

I created and initial design and then collaborated with one of the supervisors to choose a variety of fabrics for the landscape and the leaves. I incorporated the center's logo - a small green shoot of a plant - under the shade of the larger tree.

At its unveiling, several staff who were being honored embossed their names on copper foil leaves and pinned them to the tree. The piece was installed above the fireplace and from time to time is taken down for more leaves to be added. There are many more leaves now than when it was first created, a witness to Greenhouse's dedication to the growth of its staff as well as its clients.