Nicola Woods is a visual artist with a particular love and fascination for trees. She creates luminous photographs to advocate for the welfare of wild and urban trees. Five years ago she began photographing trees, a project which culminated in a solo show “Arbor Vitae (Tree of Life)” at the Earl Selkirk Gallery. She has participated in solo and group exhibitions in Canada and the USA, including a group show, in 2017, “150 years of Light in Canada” at Propeller Gallery, Toronto.

Nicola’s photographs of urban trees stem from her experiences exploring the Junction neighbourhood in Toronto with her dog.  As they walked along the streets together she became more conscious of my surroundings, and in particular she noticed the quiet beauty of the trees.  Nicola found herself marvelling at how the trees transformed the urban landscape and she felt compelled to photograph them so she could share their beauty with others.  Over time her sense of connection to the street trees deepened. They struck her as symbols of perseverance – despite being fenced in, their roots competing with fire hydrants and concrete pavements they continue to provide a haven for mammals, birds and insects.

In May Nicola will be exhibiting a new series of photographs mounted on metal leaf titled The Trees Amongst Us.  Inspired by LEAF’s Adopt-a-Street-Tree project in the Junction neighbourhood of Toronto the exhibit depicts the street trees throughout the seasons. The Trees Amongst Us will be on display at ARTiculations, Earl Selkirk Gallery from May 3 to 27, 2018 during the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival in Toronto.