Yggdrasil (Tree of Life)

 Hello, my name is Robin Hextrum. I created this oil painting titled Yggdrasil, which is the Tree of Life, central to Norse mythology. This painting references the long traditions of honoring the Tree of Life across various cultures. The Tree of Life often represents the power of the life cycle and contains references to birth, life and death.

I created my own version of a Tree of Life in this scene. I painted a tree filled with abundance and various flowers and birds from traditional paintings to capture a sense of growth and fertility. You will note that some of the fruit and flowers have fallen to the ground to represent death. I began painting this work while I was pregnant and I completed it as a new mother.

During my own transition into motherhood, I thought a lot about the profound significance of creating a new life and shepherding it into this world. This painting became an outlet for those thoughts and feelings while I was processing my body's ability to create life. I could not help but feel a deep sense of wonder and mystery at the process of generating new life in all its beauty and anatomical complexity.

In addition to the Tree of Life itself, I wanted to have a specific reference to motherhood. I chose to paint a mare and her foal in the lower left corner of the composition. This pair of horses is from a painting by Sir Edwin Lanier. I love the affection the mother horse displays towards her foal. There's a deep sense of contentment and peace in how the mother envelops and protects her child.

So this work has both traditional references, mythological references, and has a personal significance to me as a new mother. I hope you enjoy the work and take some time to explore all the details of the beauty of life captured here on canvas.