To purchase a work of art by Sara Lydia Tuell from the TASI pop-up gallery please call the Art Studio at 409.838.5393 to reserve your choice. An invoice will be created through Paypal and will be emailed to you by staff. Payments may be accepted over the phone as well.
A Virtual Reception was held March 20th on FACEBOOK LIVE.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Sanctuary
“…I could see enough variety of trees and plants and flowers, of dappled glade and murky swamp, to know that I was witness to unusual minglings of nature.” -William A. Owens
Sanctuary is an artistic and scientific study of a place I love – a place to be quiet and surrounded by nature, to observe and be inspired. Each piece in this show was born from observations made of life in the incredible ecosystem preserved at the Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary in Silsbee. There, yucca and prickly pear grow alongside orchids and violets. Cypress and tupelo swamps meet deciduous forest. A walk under the towering longleafs of the pine savannah leads to an acid bog-baygall, harboring carnivorous plants and fragrant red bay magnolias.
Sanctuary offers a window into the natural beauty of the Ecological Big Thicket and encourages a greater connection and understanding between us and the natural world.
All observations and artwork for Sanctuary were made between January and March 2020. During this cool and dark time of the year, my eye was drawn to abundant fungi and the “bare bones” of the place: trees, grasses, cypress knees and enormous pine cones. Curiosity and science are important parts of Sanctuary, so I have provided some information alongside the artwork that has resulted from my study. Additionally, I have documented over 130 observations of species found in Sandylands on iNaturalist.org, contributing to research-grade data on the ecosystem.
Pinus taeda
Graphite on paper
SOLD
Pinus taeda, graphite on paper
Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda)
The Loblolly pine is native to the southeastern United States and is found in swampy or lowland areas. Loblolly is a non-fire adapted species that now dominates much of the historic habitat of the longleaf pine due to clear-cutting and fire suppression in areas that were naturally or historically (by native peoples) regulated by fire. Prescribed burn programs at Sandylands are restoring the habitat of fire-adapted species (like the longleaf pine) and returning loblolly pine to their natural home in the mesic soils.
Oil on Canvas
NFS
Study of a Maple
Oil on Canvas
NFS
Unidentified fungi
Charcoal on paper
$300
SOLD
Unidentified fungi, charcoal on paper
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37685492
Fungi are in the kingdom Myceteae – separate from the plant kingdom because fungi do not perform photosynthesis to create their food. Fungi can be decomposing, parasitic, or mycorrhizal. Mycorrhizal fungi have a mutually beneficial relationship with plants – in exchange for carbon (sugar) from the plant, the fungi provides nitrogen and phosphorus to the plant’s root system. Studies have shown significant increases in growth and nutrient uptake to trees and plants that have a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizal fungi when confronted with shortages of nutrients or water.
Trametes versicolor
Oil on canvas
$500
SOLD
Trametes versicolor, oil on canvas
Turkey tail (trametes versicolor)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37897518
Turkey tail is a saprophyte fungi commonly found throughout the year in North America. It plays an important ecological role as a decomposer. Trametes versicolor has visible spores on the underside of the caps and the top of the cap is covered in fine hairs called fibrils, which give it a fuzzy or velvety appearance and feel.
Stereum ostrea
Oil on canvas
$350
SOLD
Stereum ostrea, oil on canvas
False turkey tail (stereum ostrea)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37897540
Stereum ostrea gets its name from its oyster-shell shape. It is a saprobic fungi, meaning it survives on decaying organic material and helps decompose dead wood. False turkey tail is one of the most common fungi in the world and can be found at almost any time of year.
Xeromphalina kauffmanii
Oil on canvas
$300
SOLD
Xeromphalina kauffmanii, oil on canvas
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37684805
This species can be seen growing on dead hard wood trees by the hundreds. Xeromphalina kaufmanii differs from its look-alike X. campanella because it only grows on fallen hardwood trees, while X. campanella grows exclusively on fallen conifers.
Spongipellis pachyodon
Charcoal on paper
$250
Spongipellis pachyodon, charcoal on paper
Marshmellow polypore (Spongipellis pachyodon)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37656626
This parasitic species of fungus causes white heart rot in living hardwood trees, particularly oak. Spongipellis pachyodon is a polypore, also known as bracket fungi. Polypores are a large and diverse group that is not well understood by science. They grow most diversely in old natural forests and because of logging and deforestation, many of these fungi are under threat of extinction.
Taxodium distichum
Oil on canvas
$750
SOLD
Taxodium distichum, oil on canvas
Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum)
Bald cypress and water tupelo dominate the swamps, sloughs and other wetland areas of the Ecological Big Thicket. Cypress’s lateral roots produce “knees” that can be a few inches to more than 12 feet tall. The function of cypress knees is still unknown, although they likely do provide some stability for the tree through frequent floods and hurricanes. Bald eagles and osprey nest in the tops of bald cypress, while other birds, waterfowl and small mammals feed on its seeds. Black bears once native to the Big Thicket may even select a cypress tree cavity for their den.
Andropogon virginicus
Wire, cotton, plexiglass and pine
$350
SOLD
Andropogon virginicus, wire and cotton
Broomsedge bluestem (Andropogon virginicus)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37769418
This elegant grass, along with the longleaf pine, are the dominating plant species of the longleaf pine-bluestem range. Broomsedge bluestem is a larval host for the zabulon skipper butterfly. It also provides cover for ground nesting birds like quail and turkey.
Longleaf seedling
Clay, wire, plexiglass and pine
$350
Longleaf seedling, clay and wire
Longleaf pines can live for 300-400 years. After the seedling stage, the longleaf enters a grass stage that lasts 3-5 years during which the tree grows a long taproot. The grass stage bud is protected from fire by a dense layer of long needles. Fire stimulates the grass-stage tree to bolt up and into the bottle brush stage, where the tree aims to move its growing tip or “candle” above flame height. During this stage, the tree can grow several feet in just a few months.
Longleaf pinecone 3
Clay
$300
Longleaf pinecone 1
Clay, plexiglass and pine
$500
SOLD
Longleaf pinecone 2
Clay, plexiglass and pine
$400
Longleaf pinecone, clay
Longleaf pine savannahs promote diverse understory plant growth, which provides food and shelter for other native species. When an “unnatural thicket” of native-invasive species (like yaupon holly and wax myrtle) is formed due to fire suppression or deforestation, the diversity of life in that area is greatly reduced. Sandyland’s pine savannah boasts 60 species/acre and some longleaf habitats can host up to 140 species per quarter-acre.
Pinus palustris 1
Oil and acrylic on canvas
$350
SOLD
Pinus palustris 1, oil on canvas
The Nature Conservancy is joined in an effort to conserve the longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) and restore it to its historic range. The longleaf once covered 90 million acres of the Southeastern US and was reduced to less than 3 million acres by the 1900’s due to clear cutting of virgin trees, overgrazing, and fire suppression. The Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary is actively managed by The Nature Conservancy using prescribed burns and is a demonstration site for how effective burn programs can transform a landscape and increase its biodiversity. 180 burns have been executed at Sandyland since 1977.
Pinus palustris 3
Oil, acrylic and charcoal on canvas
$450
SOLD
Pinus palustris 3, oil on canvas
Longleaf pine is an important part of the wet pine savannah ecosystem – an acidic wetland that houses “fossil species” like club moss and regal fern that have been found embedded in coal formed 300 million years ago. This ecosystem is also home to a diverse mix of herbaceous plants, grasses, orchids, and carnivorous plants. Sandylands is home to four globally endangered species. Two rare wildflower species at Sandylands are the Texas trailing phlox (only found in Hardin County and 2 other neighboring counties) and the white firewheel (state rare).
Pinus palustris 2
Oil and acrylic on canvas
$400
SOLD
Pinus palustris 2, oil on canvas
Burns historically occurred during the growing season in late summer and were caused by lightning or started by native peoples. This process eliminates non-fire adapted competitors, exposes bare mineral soil, and creates carbon and ash allowing longleaf seeds to germinate. Longleaf pines shed ⅓ of their needles in the fall to further help eliminate competition for seedlings and mature trees.
Bibliography
Brakie, Melinda, and R. Alan Shadow. “Broomsedge Bluestem Plant Fact Sheet.” USDA Plants, Sept. 2009, plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_anvi2.pdf.
Johnson, Dan, et al. “Why Longleaf?” Texas Longleaf Pine Taskforce, 2016, txlongleaf.org/.
Kuo, Michael. “MushroomExpert.Com.” MushroomExpert.Com, www.mushroomexpert.com/.
Metzler, Susan. Texas Mushrooms. University of Texas Press, 1992.
“Sandylands Sanctuary.” The Nature Conservancy, www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/roy-e-larsen-sandyland-sanctuary/.
Tuell, Sara, and Shawn Benedict. “Tour of Sandyland.” 21 Feb. 2020.
Watson, Geraldine Ellis. Big Thicket Plant Ecology: an Introduction. UNT Press, University of North Texas Press, 2006.
“Wetlands.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Aug. 2016, www.nps.gov/bith/learn/nature/wetlands.htm.“What Is Longleaf?” The Longleaf Alliance, longleafalliance.org/what-is-longleaf.
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