Sequoia needles, resin on panel, 2019. (16″ x 16″)

This piece is a battle cry for those who have suffered losses due to climate change.

In an nod to the traditionally feminine practice of commemorating a loss through needlework, this modified snowflake has been ‘cross-stitched’ in the fallen needles of a beloved sequoia tree that I grew from seed, and that survived 6 winters in Western Quebec. Sadly, this extraordinary hardy tree perished during the extreme weather events of summer 2018. Its fate is similar to its giant west-coast cousins, now dying of drought and heat in what used to be a  more stable, temperate zone.

The reality of climate change brings not only big-picture shifts in existing climate zones and their ecosystems, but an increase in localised short-term extreme weather events that will damage and disrupt every living thing in their path. My sequoia tree is but one tiny example of the losses that we will continue to experience until our fundamental governing structures work together to prioritize the greatest threat to life on Earth.