Dogwood Love & Lore Collection

The timing was perfect. With Easter just one week away, the dogwood trees in front of my home were in full bloom. These gorgeous trees really stood out to me this year. As an artist, springtime is a season where inspiration is everywhere if you love painting flowers (me!) So why did these dogwoods inspire me more than all of the other blooms? Was it the four petals that reminded me of a cross? Maybe. After looking at reference photos online, I came upon the legend of dogwood trees. Southern lore is part of the culture here, and it is fun to learn about tales of ghosts, spirits and traditons unique to the history and culture of the south. According to the legend, the dogwood, our North Carolina state tree, was once very large. The Romans used the wood to make Jesus' crucifixtion cross. After Jesus was crucified, God cursed the dogwood by making it smaller, and its branches twisted and gnarled rendering it useless to make a cross. However, it is also said that God blessed the tree to glorify Christs resurrection. Dogwoods bloom in time for Easter, with four petals representing the cross, petal tips with indents to symbolize the nails in His hands and feet, red specks to represent the blood of Jesus and a center "crown" to symbolize the crown of thorns on Jesus's head. True or not, I love a good legend and a beautiful tree. I hope you enjoy these paintings that come from the love and lore of the dogwood tree!