Writing/Essay/Journal
Wood turner Virgil Leih says of his art, “I didn’t create that grain, I didn’t create that beauty. I was a participant to reveal the beauty that was already there.” He finds this beauty when he opens the tree trunks and exposes the grain of the wood. Where else is there hidden beauty? Do you feel you or someone else you know has hidden beauty?

Activity
Leih creates art using only wood that he finds in tree trunk dumps. Create your own piece of art using only pieces of nature (twigs, branches, leaves, etc.) that you find. Once you have found the materials, you may manipulate them in any way you wish.