Tree of Life

Painting

-

Calvin University Center Art Gallery

The image depicts a colorful and artistic representation of a tree with its roots, trunk, and branches intricately filled with various pieces of colored paper featuring written words like "hope," "peace," "love," and more, symbolizing different positive values and emotions. The background is a warm yellow, evoking a sense of light and positivity. The roots are creatively extended into a blue and white pattern resembling water.

The image depicts a colorful and artistic representation of a tree with its roots, trunk, and branches intricately filled with various pieces of colored paper featuring written words like "hope," "peace," "love," and more, symbolizing different positive values and emotions. The background is a warm yellow, evoking a sense of light and positivity. The roots are creatively extended into a blue and white pattern resembling water.

Name/Title

Tree of Life

Entry/Object ID

2007.10.1

Type of Painting

mixed media on canvas

Category

On-Display at Calvin Seminary, Text, Plants and Nature

Made/Created

Artist

Joel Tanis

Date made

Jul 2007

Dimensions

Dimension Description

image size

Height

53-1/2 in

Width

44 in

Dimension Description

frame size

Height

56 in

Width

46-1/2 in

General Notes

Note

In July 2007, Facing Your Future alumni from 2002-2006 reunited at Calvin Seminary. Joel Tanis, a Holland, Michigan based artist, led the group in forming this collaborative piece of art. In the morning, individuals were asked to create a small piece capturing their reflection on a formative time or moment in their lives. In the afternoon, Tanis turned these pieces into a river and the trunk and branches of a tree – the tree of life. In the evening, Tanis revealed the artwork, which was only complete when individuals wrote on the leaves their answers to this question: “Of all that Jesus Christ has to offer the world, what does the world need most?” Their answers revealed something about how God has shaped each of them through their formative experiences to bring Christ into the world.