Episode 22: Patricia Larenas - Talking with trees
Patricia Larenas is an artist and gardener with a passion for nature, and especially, for trees. Her tree portraits capture the iconic trees around her in the San Francisco Bay Area. She also investigates alternative art materials through creating her own natural inks and hand-made journals.
When choosing art materials, Patricia’s concern for nature is always in her mind. She prefers to use recycled paper wherever she can, uses high quality 100% cotton paper for finished pieces, and explores alternatives like xuan paper (rice paper) and bamboo.
Patricia loves gardening, seed saving and how seeds can be the ‘carriers of culture’, connecting people to their cultural roots and to each other.
Listen to hear more about:
The importance of nature connection through books, during Patricia’s childhood.
The deep connection Patricia has had with trees throughout her life.
The process of tackling complex tree shapes in a drawing.
How she makes her own inks from natural materials she has foraged or found herself.
The process of book binding hand-made sketchbooks.
Seed saving and ethnography of foods, and how seeds have moved around the world through patterns of migration and colonisation.
To see Patricia’s artwork, follow this link to her Instagram page @plarenas_onpaper. You can find her gardening and seed saving blog at www.urbanartichoke.com.
Thanks for listening!