Beneath the quiet sweep of willow branches, the forest gathers in a moment of watchful stillness. A squirrel pauses mid-descent. A fox reaches upward. A badger stands grounded in witness. Doves remain paired in gentle unity. A chickadee observes from above. And tucked low among bark and leaf, the small mouse remains present and unseen by some, but never absent.
This third chapter shifts from solitude to relationship. It captures the tension of nearness and the breath between instinct and restraint, the hush before movement. Each animal holds its own awareness, yet none stand entirely alone.
Hand-burned on live-edge wood, this piece relies on depth, shadow, and restrained highlights rather than color. The sepia tones allow the story to feel timeless, as though it has always lived in the grain.
Part of an unfolding woodland narrative, this chapter carries both quiet whimsy and subtle tension, inviting the viewer to enter wherever their eye first lands and create a story as you travel the woods.
Original pyrography on live-edge wood
Approx. 13 x 11 inches