Reviving Hope

Dear Friend,

I hope you have had a nice break connecting with family and friends this summer. It has been a strange holiday period weather wise, particularly tough for those up north experiencing severe weather events. Whatever you situation I hope you have found refreshment over this time.

Something new

With the beginning of a new year I am wrapped to be able to share with you a beautiful new logo for Reviving Hope! Tanya Jack is the local graphic artist behind this artwork. I have so enjoyed the collaboration of ideas on this project and how Tanya has brought these to life.

At the beginning of the design process we talked about symbols for mental well-being and an holistic image that represented the whole person; physical, spiritual, social and mental/emotional. These things are represented in the face/mind and then the wider holistic circle.

 The sprig of leaves with flowers pictured in the logo depict the mānuka plant, native to Aotearoa, New Zealand. Here is it used to symbolise healing and the beauty of well-being. When looking for a native plant to incorporate in the design I didn’t need to look further than mānuka. Some years ago I visited a mānuka farm on the East Cape of the North Island. I was amazed by the health benefits of our native tree. Here are some fun facts about mānuka/leptospermum scoparium that may impress you too!

 Mānuka/kahikātoa can grow up to 10 meters tall and blossoms with white or pink flowers. Historically Māori had many uses for the red wood of the tree including making tools, homes and using the bark for waterproofing roofs. Māori also used the plant for many medicinal uses. Mānuka was also named tea tree by Captain Cook as it was used for drinking tea.

Settlers viewed mānuka as unwanted scrub to clear. It has often been burned and poisoned on farmland. In our times many farmers are planting mānuka on the land again for its many uses such as preventing erosion, providing shade, for honey production and the plant’s healing properties. This special shrub is also known for being a nursery plant. It protects other forest plants as animals generally don’t like to eat it.

Mānuka flowers have five petals and are super sweet attracting nectar for native bees other insects and geckos. It is probably best known for the production of mānuka oil with it’s medicinal uses and most famously for its highly prized mānuka honey. High quality Aotearoa mānuka honey is sought after internationally for many health benefits such as aiding wound care.  

All this to say mānuka is a special plant to have as part of the Reviving Hope logo.

I look forward to using the variations of this image for coming work.

Be blessed as you start into this new year,

Bronnie Tressler

Photo: Shutterstock M Rutherford

Source of information about mānuka: https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-plants/manuka-kahikatoa-and-kanuka/

1. 

   Nice!

2. 

   I meant to write Kairos not Jairos!

3. 

   Hi Sarah. So nice to hear from you 😊. It’s helpful to hear about how you journal. I can learn…

4. 

   Bronnie this was a reminder to me of how important it is to keep tracing the gold. Your paintings are…

5. 

   Hi Sarah. Thanks so much for your feedback. Yes I’ll get in touch 😊