BATH – During the month of June, the Brockton Public Library in Brockton, Mass., will feature watercolor, mixed medium and graphite images of trees and old growth forests done by Maine artist and educator, Linda Murray.

The exhibit will be held in the Joseph A. Driscoll Art Gallery June 7-30. There will be a “hands on” wet-in-wet watercolor workshop, open to the public and given by the artist on Thursday, June 5, from 3:30-5 p.m.; sign-up is required (no charge). An opening reception will be held Saturday, June 7, from 2-4 p.m.

In October 2006, an enormous 100-year-old maple tree fell down behind Murray’s studio, narrowly missing her studio and neighboring homes. This event set in motion a two-year exploration of trees through art.

During the harvesting of the tree’s remains, Murray was reminded of the symbiotic relationship people have with trees. Concerns for the sustainability of old growth forests became Murray’s focus, with her art exploring trees and their relationship to their environment.

“Trees provide us with so many things in our lives from toilet paper, to shelter, to the material – the paper – I paint on,” Murray said. “My maple’s demise became a reflective time for me of its long life, and an appreciation of the whole of this tree from bark to roots, the shade, oxygen and organic shelter it provided, and its shear beauty.”

The artwork in this show is the result of her appreciation of that. The artist added, “I have noticed when one is quiet in the presence of a large tree, you can sense its wisdom. You can feel its strength and how it is a survivor.”

Murray has a bachelor’s degree in studio art from the University of Maine at Augusta. She has participated in many juried shows and has received numerous awards for her work. Murray’s paintings are held in many private collections throughout the United States and the U.K.

Murray lives in Bath with her husband, where she has her studio. She teaches art to adults and children in both public and privates venues.

“A Walk In The Woods” will be shown in the Joseph A. Driscoll Art Gallery on the library’s second floor.

For more information on Murray’s art, visit her Web site at www.artbytheriver.com. For exhibit and library hours/directions, contact the Brockton Public Library (508) 580-7890 or visit www.brocktonpubliclibrary.org.