I live in an area with lots of trees, particularly paperbarks and mangroves, which host epiphytes and mistletoe common to the local wetland ecosystem. This is where I discovered the intrigue of epiphytes.
Epiphytes are plants that need a host species for support. Mistletoe is a parasite, which relies on a host for nutrients and will invade the plant tissue to obtain them. Both play important roles in the cycles of biodiversity and as a consequence, there is a lot going on behind the scenes; nature’s relentless rhythms concealed in the quietude.
Most of the works in this exhibition are painted from actual plants that I’ve found, still attached to a branch or small stick, having fallen after heavy rain or strong winds.
– Julie McEnerny
