When I saw Byron Robbie’s artwork – I was amazed at how he encapsulated my thoughts and feelings about grief and loss in my logo. He was a teacher, a counsellor, and an administrator and has always been an artist. The important meaning of my logo – I wanted something that represented the strength needed
to come through grief, even though one may feel “dead” inside – like parts of this pine and the darkness created by loss – there is always hope for new growth that allows the tree to live on as depicted by the new needles, the glow from the sun and the strength of the earth to support new growth (illustrated in the circular border). Just as in life, there can be life beyond the loss – never the same but different – and there is the
possibility “to live again”.
Here are Byron Robbie’s insights into the Logo! “The image is hopeful but recognizes the dark and light of emotional life. Reading the image from left to right it begins in some darkness, but a darkness that has a complex uniqueness. There is value in exploring the uniqueness of what knowledge may be discovered. From the shadows on the left, the sky gradually becomes lighter with subtle changes until the sky is mostly a clear blue, but again with some intricate and mysterious qualities.
The main character of the image is a Ponderosa Pine that stands solitary in its grassland environment. On the left of the tree are some dying branches, while there is a more healthy part of the tree on the right. Indeed, despite the dying branches, the tree is thriving, producing cones for subsequent generations.
The sun represents warmth and clarity and is the focus of the entire image. A circular border representing the four seasons, four directions, and four essences of life surrounding the image as a whole.”