A Tree Living Among Us

Written by Ashley Rockamann

Looking for the prefect present for a friend or family member? Perhaps you are in search of a piece of art to reflect your individual personality, or simply something to bring life to a room. Whether you are looking to brighten up someone’s life with an inspirational gift, or looking to be inspired yourself, a tree—something that is so complex in nature yet simple in its meaning—might be just the thing. Wayne Trinklein crafts lifelike trees to express a story or individual. His art is formed mainly by applying heat to copper, wire, and tin, and each tree is created individually for a specific purpose. Wayne started his artistic adventure 40 years ago when he wanted to make a special gift for each of his four brothers. He wanted the gifts to honor them as individuals, as each brother is unique.

“I thought about it a great deal and at that time I had climbed thousands of trees in my life. I recognized they were all different and they grew in different ways and I thought of my brothers as trees,” says Wayne.

In deciding to take on this task he realized there was no media available to make a tree sculpture. “The only trees that were out there were basically twisted wire trees which were pretty trees, but they didn’t look realistic and I couldn’t tell my stories,” comments Wayne. As a result, he created his own form of art molding copper wire into shapes, creating a mold for each tree. Using a rock for a foundation he then fuses the molded tree and the base with tin and heat. “All I did was copy nature. I replaced the cellulose fibers of the tree with copper wire and the lignin, which holds it all together, with tin. So my trees, anatomically, are built very much like real trees. They even have roots that go into the rock that hold them in place. So people who see my trees very frequently believe that they are real trees,” says Wayne.

He has perfected his art form to create inspirational trees that tell a story to all who listen. It takes two weeks to mold and sculpt the tree as it is sent through multiple heating and cooling processes before it is complete. But when asked how long it takes to complete a tree, he initially had a different response. Wayne said, “The answer really is a lifetime because my trees truly reflect a lifetime of experiences.”

Before Wayne was a full time artist he made a living as a physician, only working on his trees part time. After 25 years he realized how much he enjoyed his craft and wanted to do it full time. “There came a point in time, 15 years ago, where basically I stopped practicing medicine and spent all my time making trees. It allows me to continue to do the things that meant so much to me. It was about being involved in people’s lives and bringing a sense of purpose to people. Which is what I enjoyed in medicine and it is what I enjoy in making trees,” he explained.

With a growing need to fill orders, Wayne and his family moved to St. Charles 15 years ago so he could work on the trees full time, some may even say overtime. Wayne was working almost 15 hours a day to keep up with the orders until his wife, Susan, gave him the great advice that has allowed him to grow as an artist. She suggested that he work less and then do something else with his time, for example travel. Wayne and Susan love to travel, and their journeys provide inspiration for many of the trees. They journey to approximately twenty art shows a year all over the United Sates to showcase his talent. During these trips they climb mountains and hike among other activities, enjoying each other’s company and stumbling upon new ideas along the way. They often bring rocks back home with them to use as foundations for the trees. These adventures let him spend time with people, nature, and himself, and his work improves with every experience.

Wayne has two collections of trees, his new Signature Series and his Standard trees. The trees in the Signature Collection are about more complex situations and life issues. His works of art can be found on display at The Foundry Art Center and at four to five quality galleries in other areas. Wayne is particular regarding the way galleries display his art, asking for good lighting and raised pedestals. The display is important because it determines how they are perceived and allows the story they tell to come alive.

Throughout the years he has had to evolve technologically to keep up with new ways to create his art. For example, he had to change his technique for orders such as the eight foot tree displayed at the St. Charles City Hall, as his average piece ranges between 10 inches and two feet. Even though technology changes, the idea is still the same—to tell a story. “I think of myself not as a tree maker, but as a person who loves people and respects the differences between people and just uses trees as a way to express the joy that I feel just about being in this world, another tree with all these other great trees,” Wayne says.

At the studio Wayne has assistants working with him to create the trees. He feels that talking and socializing with them during the work hours helps him become a better artist. Surrounding himself with wonderful people allows him to feel, not think, and the trees just happen. When talking about his work environment and life Wayne says, “It’s a great blessing. I use that term a lot because I can’t think of any other way of expressing what I have going on in my life. I feel blessed. A lot of people are blessed if they just think about it. And to me, that’s what my trees are about. To show everybody how they can be a blessing by being the tree they are.”

His trees will light up your life and make you appreciate the unique person you are. “Like real trees they all express what I feel is a sense of hope. They all reach for the sun, they all have their roots planted firmly in the ground and they all are very eagerly pursuing being themselves,” says Wayne. To view or purchase one of Wayne Trinklein’s Standard trees visit www.grandnatural.com. For the Signature Series, www.waynetrinklein.com or call for an appointment at his studio.