About

Peace Leaves are short poems printed on fine arts papers, usually leaf-shaped, and with ribbons for hanging or tying to a card, package or tree branch. I originated the gift poem series for Portland, Oregon’s Hoyt Arboretum art festival. Drawing upon what nature teaches, the poems are meant to inspire, remind us of our shared humanity, and help us to live lovingly in a changing world. They are delicate gifts to tuck into a greeting or mark a page, affirmations to hang where you work or from a garden branch.  

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The poems are letterpressed offerings, sometimes in limited editions, using papers from many Asian countries as well as locally made papers from Oblation in Portland.  Once printed the papers are die-cut into leaf shapes in a second press run. 

The Oblation paper Peace Leaves are portable and perfect for receiving watercolors; I often sketch on them with watercolor pencils, pens, and brushes while out and about. . 

Back in the studio, the paintings are finished and, for those not destined for framing, beads added, many of them hand rolled from Peace Leaves papers or from magazines. Some of the painted leaves are matted with hand-painted, marbled or gel print background papers creating one-of-a- kind collage cards. For art play, I create garlands, wreaths and poetry hangings from ribbon, branches, poems, and found objects.