A tree that was more than a century-and-a-half old was chopped down nearly fifteen years ago by property managers, but portions of its trunk will continue to live on as art pieces thanks to the efforts of a group of Singaporean artists. The tree is believed to be the last of its kind in the entire country, making efforts to preserve its wood in whatever way possible even more special. It also is thought to have given the Singaporean neighborhood in which it grew its name, making it just as much a member of the community as anyone else.
Fans of both art and Mother Nature finally located the log of the tree at a sawmill and were able to remove it for their own purposes of art and preservation. The Singapore National Parks Board and others interested in preserving the history of the tree decided that it would be made into nine smaller sculptures and put on display at the zoo, making sure it had a highly visible area to raise awareness of art and nature to anyone who visited the zoo.
It was this tree that inspired the National Parks Board to see what else it could do to reuse wood felled from other trees around the country. After the success of turning the trunk into sculptures, workers have collected logs to transform into art pieces, benches, and much more, making a loving outlet for beloved trees within Singapore. A majority of the trees that see second life as art and functional items are cut down because of safety or disease. The National Parks Board works closely with artists to supply them with the wood, and the artists, in turn, give the finished projects back to the organization for display and use within the many parks in Singapore. One recent such collaboration was wood from a mahogany tree transformed into an electric guitar the artist hoped would help promote nature conservation. Others include an artistic bench that combines music with the wood of a felled tree, as well as a feeding station for birds. It is heartening to see the efforts of both the Singaporean government and Singaporean artists to pay tribute to the beautiful flora of the country with meaningful pieces of art.
Art can be made out of anything — from trees to discarded items to whatever your imagination might come up with. Harness the power of your creative spirit by enrolling today in an art class via SGArtClass.com. SGArtClass.com hosts an exhaustive list of art classes, including earth-friendly lessons like recycled art, assemblage art, landscape painting, and many more. Expert teachers can lead you in projects that interest you the most, like honoring the planet with nature-themed masterpieces. Learn how you can make art from items you find on the side of the road, cleaning up the planet and expressing your creative side at the same time.
To read more about the transformation of the fallen trees all around Singapore, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/wood-to-art.