One of the best things about living in the Bay Area are the smells you encounter outside of the city. On any hike you’ll be sure to experience the scents of eucalyptus tress, redwoods and bay leaves. On one fall day while walking with the kids on a hike, I began to smell bay leaves, an overwhelming thing to experience if you haven’t, then noticed them piled on the ground. The rich brown lovely color scattered across the trail. Some pressed into the soil making their mark and reentering the earth. I immedialty began collecting them in my sweatshirt pockets. Such a beautiful sight yet unnoticed by most hikers on this trail. Once home I began to attempt to replicate the scenes I saw in the forest. Clay, soil, leaves, rebirth.

16” x 20” Clay plaster, soil, dried bay leaves on clay board