Check out my published books at
​
Love, the Tree audio book in iTunes
​
Connect with me on instagram @liza_moore_art
Love, the Tree
Love, the Tree came about in a dream in January of 2017. I didn't actually start writing it down until November 2017. It was one I dreamed about and thought of for a long time and the characters evolved over time. I saw the image in my head in my dream but knew I had to write the story down first before beginning the painting as I felt it would get away from me. This is the first time I have combined my love of painting with storytelling.
​
The painting stands 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide, and is created using thousands of tiny dots. Although this was a very tedious process, it also allowed me to really think about the story on canvas and perfect it. The painting was begun in early November of 2017 and completed early January of 2018. This work was truly a labor of love.
​
The tree is representative of the cross and although the fish in the story is not given a name, I had decided in my mind to name him Nova, which means 'new'. This is appropriate as the fish represents the one that baptizes the boy by passing/touching him in the water three times. The other creatures in the tree are those that are lost, injured, or have suffered some type of loss like the boy. They are brought to the tree through a storm, which represents cleansing waters/ starting anew/ seeking new hope through the cross. Given their color of white, it is assumed they are already in Heaven.
​
There are five creatures in the tree, with the number five being symbolic of God's grace. The creatures are representative of those mentioned in the Bible:
​
Ador the worm - pronounced as 'adore'. He is given this name as an antonym of 'despised' which David mentions in Psalm 22:6 – “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people.” Similar to how people viewed Christ.
Edmée the hen – French name meaning “wealthy protector” – God watches over us like a mother hen. –Luke 13:34
Ten the ant – Ten is short for tenacious – loyal, hardworking. Mentioned in Proverbs 30:25 and Proverbs 6:6.
Seema the sparrow – Hebrew origin meaning “precious thing, treasure” – treasure/value to God – Matthew 10:29
Dove – representative of the Holy Spirit
Mira and the Star that Fell to Earth
Inspired by a painting I was working on called Miranda that was created after watching a program on Voyager. They discussed the discovery of Uranus's moons, one of which was named after the character Miranda from Shakespeare's play The Tempest.
The painting is 3 feet by 3 feet and is created similarly to Love, the Tree, using thousands of tiny dots (please check it out on the home page of this website). While working on Miranda I kept thinking about a story in which a child finds a star. The story took several months to all come together in my mind before I felt I was ready to write it down.
​
My character of Mira is based on the young Miranda who is on a journey to find a fallen star, and in the process, unites two tribes.
​
The design of the figures are taken from another painting I created called Procession (view on home page), which explores the theme of reconciliation and a return to home. Given their place of origin, I felt they were apropos to this story.
The colors are significant in the story as they reflect the unity and division of the people. In addition, the names of each tribe bear significance, particularly when you look at the spelling backward. The names are meant to symbolize a tribe of people who feel they are given much wealth versus another who sees they have been offered very little.
​
The story is very similar to those we have heard before, one filled with conflict and then eventual peace and hope. It explores our deep, unbreakable connection to one another and the fear that too often divides us.