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Canadian Content
Artwork by Paulette Cornish
Arbutus # 8 ” Its All About the Bark
The spectacular Arbutus tree is indigenous to Canada, found primarily on our Pacific west coast. Its bark begins as layers of robust shingles, which peel away over time to reveal beneath a secondary bark: dramatic, orange-red, curling yet geometric. But wait; theres more! As the orange-red bark in turn peels away a tertiary bark emerges, emerald to lime green, glowing, smooth as silk to the touch. As the season progresses, it will darken to burnished rust, completing the cycle. To me it represents the variety and beauty of transitions in our lives: rough or smooth, easy or complex, colourful or tranquil.