Liz Kolken of the Quaker Bonnet Eatery on Allen Street was looking for a way to give a decorative nod to the season, but she wanted something symbolic of all holiday traditions. So she commissioned artist Tim Hess to make a tree that would answer the call.
Hess came back with a non-denominational tree that incorporates the image of three Hanukkah bushes atop one another to form one Christmas tree. It also has 7 points that represent the 7 candles of Kwanza. The tree, displayed on the patio outside Quaker Bonnet for the enjoyment of the community, has 4 different scenes painted on it, depending from where it's viewed. When viewed straight on it shows a single scene, and viewed from an angle shows two scenes. (You'll have to go see it for each view.)
Hess formed the tree from plywood and then used a "hard edge" style of painting - incorporating geometric lines and color blocking - inspired by the work of the late Don Robertson, a UB professor.
As his day job, Hess paints and restores houses for his own business, Tim Hess Painting, and works with Hadley Exhibits, painting scenes. Though he doesn't call himself an artist, Hess has done some very creative things around town, including the cicadae in Allentown. "I did the cicada thing as a family summer project," Hess says. "My nieces and nephews and I were folding these origami bugs, and then I had all of this paint..."
Other than Kolken's assignment, much of
Hess' inspiration comes to him from the surplus in materials he finds himself
with, partly due to his painting career, and partly due to the Hadley exhibit
materials that come his way after an exhibit is deconstructed. That, and a will to make fun and
beautiful things "for the benefit of the community," he says.
Of the tree, Hess says, "We would like for as many people to see it as possible." He has other things planned for in and around his Allentown neighborhood, but when asked what exactly he might do, Hess says, "I'll know when it hits me."
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Great connection between community business and resident!