tree of life

Students have studied the motifs associated with the Tree of Life, derived from the Old Testament. Inspired by the abstract imagery of the Australian painter John Coburn (1925-2006), students have drawn their own version of a Tree of Life, incorporating symbols that express the beauty of nature. Students engraved their images onto plastic etching plates and later printed their designs onto rag paper using an etching press. Many of the children’s motifs go beyond the biblical tree and they use the tree symbol to speak about peace and the environment.