I have been enamored with this image of a child in an enormous tree ever since my recent discovery of it. It keeps appearing in my artwork, as I find myself wanting to reinvent it. In this version I played with the ideas of an intimate relationship with nature and protection.
In the original the child seems perfectly at ease, reclining in the branches. Almost to the point of merging into the tree, or as though the tree were protecting him. Also, the advertisement implies a reconnection between our children and the natural world.
I wanted to expand the child's connection to other parts of nature, particularly plants and animals that have been or are endangered. By bringing the plants and animals into the image I created a type of family tree, and offered the tree's protection to them and their young.
Jennifer Truppner
North Carolina Special Advertising Section. (Jan/ Feb 2010). Preservation. Center Section.
