Under the Inspiration Tree: Celebrating the Work of Thomas Wood is a major exhibition of work by beloved artist Thomas Wood at the Whatcom Museum in Bellingham, Washington. The show allows the public several months to visit the museum for this extraordinary exhibition. Drawing from numerous collections, this survey brings dozens of works by Wood to provide the guest with a comprehensive view of his artistic practice and oeuvre. The show is divided into several sections to highlight various aspects of the artist’s work and life, but the theme remains constant: Wood was a precise yet playful artist whose work was as rooted in art history as it was in his daily life.
It is likely that most people who are familiar with Wood know about his mastery of printmaking, but the main entrance of the show opens with his paintings. Fittingly, the visitor is greeted by paintings of trees before approaching the artist studio transported into the gallery. The Pollinators, an oil on canvas work completed by Wood in 2004, is the work selected for the title wall. The painting has many hallmarks of Wood’s practice: a figure bringing a boat ashore, the central tree filled to the brim with creatures and plants, and a dark, foreboding background reminiscent of Thomas Cole. The text panels reveal that drawing was an essential part of Wood’s practice, and he often took a break from his process-driven printmaking practice to paint en plein air. Excursions to the San Juan Islands provided the perfect opportunity for him to draw and paint the trees above the water on the islands. This method seemed to span decades of his career, which is evident in the work selected for this portion of the exhibit.
While his process (drawing, en plein air, painting, intaglio, etc.) was diverse and wide-ranging, it is also impressive to note the many art historical references and inspirations for his work. Lummi Cove reminds this viewer of Fauvist painters like Henri Matisse and Georges Braque through the evident brushstrokes, hazy washes of color, and blending of foreground and background to create a dreamlike quality. Wood seemed to take a known subject matter like the bouquet or landscape and explore the topic through a blend of art historical references and his own perspective. The sources are referenced repeatedly in the exhibit, perhaps most interestingly the artist’s interest in Dutch landscape painting inspired by a stay in the Netherlands in the early 1990s. The paintings bear the signatures of this historical movement in combination with recognizable figures from his other work. In Creatures of the Sky, flying figures and other creatures whirl around the sky above a landscape scene with the Dutch hallmark of a low horizon line.
Creatures, both fantastical and rooted in reality, are a throughline in his work. Viewers can spot them in his paintings and prints. While in the exhibit, many visitors were playing a game to try to find mermaids in as many works are possible. The text for the show ties these characters to the time Wood spent in Italy, since many of the early flying or playful figures have a connection to Italian folklore, stories, or art. For example, the putti shows up repeatedly in Wood’s paintings and prints. The playful and jovial flying child transforms through the years and later art include all kinds of flying creatures.
Wood’s paintings are truly beautiful, but his technical skills really shine in his prints. The exhibit groups prints
together as if to highlight the connection between the works and to reinforce the narratives that are often present in his work. It is extraordinary to see Wood weave together personal experiences with common messages found in Renaissance and Early Modern art history. Fools of Tumbo is an excellent example of Wood telling his own personal story of an unfortunate trip to Tumbo Island while using the visual vocabulary of the Ship of Fools.
In addition to Under the Inspiration Tree, viewers can also see the work of Thomas Wood in Edison, Washington at i.e. gallery and Harris/Harvey Gallery in Seattle, Washington. Thomas Wood: Bugs in a Bowl at i.e. gallery features prints, while Thomas Wood: Selected Works at Harris/Harvey Gallery exhibits prints from the last intaglio plates created by Wood as well as other prints and paintings. It is a truly unique opportunity to see such a wide range of work created by one artist that spans a career of over fifty years.
Chloé Dye Sherpe
Chloé Dye Sherpe is an art professional and curator based in Washington State.
Under the Inspiration Tree: Celebrating the Work of Thomas Wood is on view through March 2, 2025 at Whatcom Museum’s Lightcatcher Building, located at 250 Flora Street in Bellingham, Washington. Hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.whatcommuseum.org.
