I know it has been a while since posting my Tree Huggers series. I’t not that trees have not been on my mind. Fall has been interesting to say the least. Now it is time to move forward. I’m on it. Damn the torpedos, full speed ahead.
A few weeks ago I went on a journey with my dear friend Crystal Floyd. Out intent was to visit the the head springs of the Ichetucknee River so I could photograph an ancient signal tree on the property. When we got to the gate we were turned away because the park was closed due to storm damage.
“Hey,” Crystal said to me. “Have you ever seen Big Dan?”
I thought I knew everything there was to know about the Santa Fe River and its tributaries. “Big Dan?” I felt the question tickle my face. “Where is that?”
“Well there is this really weird church camp on the Santa Fe. I think it’s Seventh Day Adventists or something like that.” She shrugged. “But on the property there is this incredible swamp and it has this ancient cypress tree. Big Dan. It’s thousands of years old.”
My interest was piques. “Are you shitting me?” I pointed toward the road. “Let’s go.”
Crystal directed me toward High Springs and then beyond toward O’Leno and the Santa Fe Rise.
The Santa Fe River goes underground at O’Leno State Park and travels several miles before it rises. Once out of the ground it flows around the town of High Springs, Fl. then eventually into the Suwannee. The river is magical to say the least.
In the past I paddled up into Santa Fe Rise on many occasions and never noticed the camp. “This is so weird. I’ve been a few hundred yards from this.”
”Crazy, isn’t it?” Crystal navigated us through the entrance to the camp. “Just act like you belong. Say your’e going to pray of something.”
I laughed in her face. “Yeah, they don’t know me.”
“Lie.” She said with a giggle.
We drove through the entrance to the camp. Smiled and waved at the various campers and staff. It was a well-kept and lovely place. Churchy, but nice.
She pointed me through several parking areas. “Stop here.” We parked. “Just act like you belong.” I did.
We walked toward a chapel and a boardwalk. The cypress swamp opened in front of us. Late afternoon brought rays of sunlight through the autumn foliage. The cypress needles were turning golden and starting to fall.
The boardwalk had several appointed stopping points with places to stop and meditate. Bible verses were noted on placards.
“Interesting.” I rolled my eyes toward Crystal.
“Yeah, I know.” She replied.
She walked ahead of me on the boardwalk then stopped. “But look at this.” She presented a full view of Big Dan.
“Jesus Christ.” I looked around to see if I was going to be sent to hell by the congregants. “That’s a tree.”
The sign next to it set it’s date at 634 BC. “It says it’s the fourth oldest tree in Florida. Dang.” The buttresses held a massive trunk. The tree towered above us. It was huge.
I looked up into one of the most magnificient trees I’d ever seen. Being in its presences was more significant and awe inspiring than any of the great cathedrals of Europe. It was a truly holy experience.
We were both silent. Words seemed weak and awkward underneath the magnificent creature.
My intent when we started our trip that day was to photograph the signal tree at the Ichetucknee. I’m working on a series of paintings about signal trees, or at least I was. Finding Big Dan changed my direction. I still intend to work with the idea of signal trees for a longer, more involved project. I do intend to interrupt my signal tree project and spend some time working on the monumental Cypress trees of the southeast.
I often work with friend and former student, painter David Nackashi. Lately we have talked a lot about a method of priming surfaces using traditional gesso. This process harkens back to a time when artists painted on wooden panels instead of canvas.
David and I started filming the process of preparing a surface using traditional gesso techniques. We will publish the tutorials on both Substack and YouTube during the next month. I will chronicle not only the preparation of the surfaces but also the production of the Cypress paintings. These paintings will fall behind the Substack paywall so they will only be available to paid subscribers. Look for them and enjoy.
Here is a 48”x24” panel, the first of six. David Nackashi and I are making a YouTube tutorial about traditional gesso techniques for a wooden panel. I’m excited to start on this series of tree paintings. Making 2025 as grand as possible.
Great post. Did that camp have a great spring at its center? I think it sounds like a place I went to camp once as a kid. Beautiful place.
Big Dan🙂 We can only imagine his roots🤔