Concept:
I've enjoyed the Belgian Surrealist René Magritte's wit, charm, and imagination for nearly 40 years. One of my favorite paintings of his is "The Treachery of Images" – though the painting is more commonly known as "This is not a pipe." The painting shows an image of a traditional wooden tobacco pipe with the phrase "This is not a pipe" written out in French.
Though Magritte's title inspired my painting's title, my work's meaning has a different purpose. I wanted to include this in my tree series, but I wanted to clarify that I recognize this painting is not of a tree but of a tree seed. There is a big difference between a tree and that of a seed. A seed is simply the beginnings or the promise of the possibility of a tree. I wanted to show a seed in a hole surrounded by rich, fertile soil – much like being in a womb. However, there are no guarantees that this seed will grow into being a tree. It's the same as with all life: plants, animals or humans.