Snow Trees

Often, while I'm walking, rushing through my day, or simply sitting quietly, something suddenly comes into view. A pattern, a texture, a bird, the way light falls, or an unexpected moment catches my attention and compels me to stop and capture it with my camera. Sometimes those moments become drawings or paintings. Other times, I simply want to remember the experience or preserve something about it before it disappears.

For years, photography has been my sketchbook—a way to collect observations. Most of those photographs remain just that: observations. Occasionally, though, one feels complete on its own. As I begin sharing photography alongside my drawings and paintings, this is one of the first images I've chosen.

I made this photograph while walking alone in North Brunswick, New Jersey, after a major snowstorm in 2014. The weight of the snow transformed ordinary trees I passed every day into intricate sculptures. I remember slowing down, standing in the snow and cold for a long time, breathing the still, icy air, looking up, and wondering whether anyone else had stopped to admire these quietly beautiful things.

I hope you notice something beautiful today.