Art with a message describes the latest exhibit of “Beyond Books: Community ArtShare” at T.B. Scott Free Library.
Featured woodburning artist Trent Leaf found his inspiration while employed by the Wisconsin DNR. Over the past six years, Trent’s experiences in the natural resources field have provided him with insights about creation, some of them bringing to mind specific scripture verses or themes.
Trent worked for a year in Merrill, during which he spent a lot of his free time at nearby New Wood Wildlife Area, Council Grounds State Park and Grandfather Falls. The process of listening to nature closely and then carefully crafting the woodburnings was a way for him to slow down a little bit. Trent says that the ideas for his art are driven by his faith. “I try to think of ideas that could maybe reveal to others the peace in my Christian faith that I find especially while observing creation.”
The featured woodburnings were done on birch plywood with frames. Trent feels that woodburning is an accessible form of art. He notes that “the woodburning tool is really basic and fairly easy to acquire from craft stores and Walmart. It has a beveled tip which screws into a heating element. You hold it pretty much like a pen. It is something anyone can do.” The artist chose birch as a medium for his works because of its light color, which contrasts well with the black burn marks.
Trent Leaf’s woodburnings will be on display on the library’s second floor through July. T.B. Scott Free Library’s “Beyond Books: Community ArtShare” features new exhibits on an ongoing basis. The program was made possible by a $10,000 grant from the Mead Witter Foundation, Inc. of Wisconsin Rapids.