--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To draw a tree, to pay such close…" description: "\"To draw a tree, to pay such close attention to every aspect of a tree, is an act of reverence not only toward the tree, and toward the earth itself, bu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/824/alan-lee-29219_aspect_to-draw-a-tree-to-pay-such-close-attenti_1679479.png" --- # To draw a tree, to pay such close attention to every… ![“To draw a tree, to pay such close attention to every aspect of a tree, is an act of reverence not only toward the tree, and toward the earth itself, but also our human connection to it. This is one of the magical things about drawing -- it gives us almost visionary moments of connectedness.” quote by Alan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/824/alan-lee-29219_aspect_to-draw-a-tree-to-pay-such-close-attenti_1679479.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/824/alan-lee-29219_aspect_to-draw-a-tree-to-pay-such-close-attenti_1679479.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/824/alan-lee-29219_aspect_to-draw-a-tree-to-pay-such-close-attenti_1679479.png) > “To draw a tree, to pay such close attention to every aspect of a tree, is an act of reverence not only toward the tree, and toward the earth itself, but also our human connection to it. This is one of the magical things about drawing -- it gives us almost visionary moments of connectedness.” [Alan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Observing and rendering a tree with detail cultivates respect for nature and deepens our sense of belonging to the world. **In simple terms:** Drawing trees with care shows reverence for nature and connects us. it. Key Takeaway Draw attentively to feel connected. Themes nature art mindfulness Mood reflective inspired Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - art class - nature walks - meditative sketching - environmental education Key Concepts Ecology perception creative practice Questions to Reflect On - How does careful observation change your relationship with the subject? - What does reverence look like in everyday actions? A Different Perspective May become overly focused on detail, missing broader context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Connectedness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connectedness/) [Connections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connections/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Human connection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-connection/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Reverence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reverence/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree/) [Trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trees/) [Visionaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visionaries/) ## Related quotes > [“True human connection is found at the level of pure consciousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-zeis/true-human-connection-is-found-at-the-level-of-pure-consciousness/) Patrick Zeis > [A painter told me that nobody could draw a tree without in some sort becoming a tree; or draw a child by studying the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-painter-told-me-that-nobody-could-draw-a-tree-without-in-some-sort-2/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [A painter told me that nobody could draw a tree without in some sort becoming a tree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-painter-told-me-that-nobody-could-draw-a-tree-without-in-some-sort/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I am a one-trick pony. If you tell most people to draw a picture of a tree, they'd draw 35 branches and 10,000 leaves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lee-roth/i-am-a-one-trick-pony-if-you-tell-most-people-to-draw-a-picture-of-a/) [David Lee Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lee-roth/) > [“Never underestimate the empowering effect of human connection. All you need is that one person, who understands you completely, believes in you and makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drishti-bablani-wordions/never-underestimate-the-empowering-effect-of-human-connection-all-you/) [Drishti Bablani, Wordions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drishti-bablani-wordions/) > [Tech is all about building human connections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padmasree-warrior/tech-is-all-about-building-human-connections/) [Padmasree Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padmasree-warrior/) > [“Corporate anthropologist Karen Stephenson argues that though trust is the natural glue of human connection since prehistoric times, it is mostly absent in modern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-marie-slaughter/corporate-anthropologist-karen-stephenson-argues-that-though-trust-is/) [Anne-Marie Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-marie-slaughter/) > [Human communication, 'as the saying goes, is a clash of symbols' it covers a multitude of signs. But it is more than media and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/human-communication-as-the-saying-goes-is-a-clash-of-symbols-it/) [Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/) > [“Desperately wanting God's kingdom to come, we lead with the law, like a sixteen-year-old girl who thought a Bible on a desk corner would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-hatmaker/desperately-wanting-god-s-kingdom-to-come-we-lead-with-the-law-like-a/) [Jen Hatmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-hatmaker/) > [“You cannot force a person to see you as someone they want to open up to; you cannot force a person to see you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/you-cannot-force-a-person-to-see-you-as-someone-they-want-to-open-up/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [I talked to a lot of people about what makes a good weekend, and discovered a few common threads: human connection, play, interaction with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katrina-onstad/i-talked-to-a-lot-of-people-about-what-makes-a-good-weekend-and/) [Katrina Onstad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katrina-onstad/) > [ If I had a worldview, and I don’t know if I do, but if I did, it’s one that’s intensely humanistic. \[That worldview\] is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kripke/if-i-had-a-worldview-and-i-don-t-know-if-i-do-but-if-i-did-it-s-one/) [Eric Kripke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kripke/) > [“We live in the most ‘connected’ time ever… yet loneliness is everywhere.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roche-uccello/we-live-in-the-most-connected-time-ever-yet-loneliness-is-everywhere/) [Roche Uccello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roche-uccello/) > [Whatever your supposed politics are - left, right - if you put it in a human connection, most people will rise to the occasion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/whatever-your-supposed-politics-are-left-right-if-you-put-it-in-a/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [I love using the latest technologies to make life more efficient, but I don't want to advocate that technology replaces the need to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-webb/i-love-using-the-latest-technologies-to-make-life-more-efficient-but/) [Maynard Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-webb/) ## More by Alan Lee > [“I’ve had so many influences and sources of inspiration as an illustrator that it is impossible to name just one. I loved Aubrey Beardsley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lee/i-ve-had-so-many-influences-and-sources-of-inspiration-as-an/) [Alan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lee/) > [I spend as much time as I can sketching from nature, Dartmoor contains such a rich variety of landscape, as many boulders, foaming rivers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lee/i-spend-as-much-time-as-i-can-sketching-from-nature-dartmoor-contains/) [Alan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lee/) > [“I have a very clear memory of my first encounter with myth, sitting in a mobile library and travelling, at the same time, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lee/i-have-a-very-clear-memory-of-my-first-encounter-with-myth-sitting-in/) [Alan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lee/) > [“When I started to draw, most of my influences were from other painters and illustrators, so I was drawing landscape at second hand, really.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lee/when-i-started-to-draw-most-of-my-influences-were-from-other-painters/) [Alan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lee/) > [“I've been strongly influenced, in technique as well as subject matter, by some of the early 20th-century book illustrators — Arthur Rackham and Edmund…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lee/i-ve-been-strongly-influenced-in-technique-as-well-as-subject-matter/) [Alan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lee/) > [“A lot of excellent illustrators are working at the moment--especially in fantasy and children's books. It is exciting also to see graphic artists such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lee/a-lot-of-excellent-illustrators-are-working-at-the-moment-especially/) [Alan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lee/) > [“There is a storytelling element in there. The tango form is a little like the blues in that you have a kind of structure.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lee/there-is-a-storytelling-element-in-there-the-tango-form-is-a-little/) [Alan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lee/) > [“Many of the most popular children's stories have their roots in tales invented for particular children, and this casual, often serendipitous, approach produces a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lee/many-of-the-most-popular-children-s-stories-have-their-roots-in-tales/) [Alan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lee/) > [“Never let yourself get too hungry, angry, lonely or tired, otherwise you’ll do something you’ll regret.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lee/never-let-yourself-get-too-hungry-angry-lonely-or-tired-otherwise-you/) [Alan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lee/) > [The power of both myth and art is this magical ability to open doors, to make connections — not only between us and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lee/the-power-of-both-myth-and-art-is-this-magical-ability-to-open-doors/) [Alan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lee/) > [“I like to work in watercolor, with as little under-drawing as I can get away with. I like the unpredictability of a medium which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lee/i-like-to-work-in-watercolor-with-as-little-under-drawing-as-i-can/) [Alan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lee/) > [I keep drawing the trees, the rocks, the river, I'm still learning how to see them; I'm still discovering how to render their forms.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lee/i-keep-drawing-the-trees-the-rocks-the-river-i-m-still-learning-how/) [Alan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lee/) > [“I first read The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit when I was eighteen. It felt as though the author had taken every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lee/i-first-read-the-lord-of-the-rings-and-the-hobbit-when-i-was-eighteen/) [Alan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lee/) > [“I often don’t have a clear idea of what I am going to be drawing when I start, unless it is for a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lee/i-often-don-t-have-a-clear-idea-of-what-i-am-going-to-be-drawing-when/) [Alan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lee/) > [“I believe that we need good tale-tellers now, as much as we did when the oral tradition was the only way that they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lee/i-believe-that-we-need-good-tale-tellers-now-as-much-as-we-did-when/) [Alan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lee/) [Explore all 18 Alan Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lee/) ## More Aspect quotes > [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [It is according to the shapes that I lay the plans for victory, but the multitude does not comprehend this. Although everyone can see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-according-to-the-shapes-that-i-lay-the-plans-for-victory-but/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [I believe that simple, consistent shifts in our thinking and actions can lead to the miraculous in all aspects of our daily lives, including…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-bernstein/i-believe-that-simple-consistent-shifts-in-our-thinking-and-actions/) [Gabrielle Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-bernstein/) > [There is so much temptation to hold on to my career even more now. To try to micromanage and dictate every little aspect. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-lin/there-is-so-much-temptation-to-hold-on-to-my-career-even-more-now-to/) [Jeremy Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-lin/) > [I do miss the social aspect of sitting in a pub with a pint but you know what when I get down to it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozzy-osbourne/i-do-miss-the-social-aspect-of-sitting-in-a-pub-with-a-pint-but-you/) [Ozzy Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozzy-osbourne/) > [Some say that you should not want money at all because the desire for money is materialistic and not Spiritual. But we want you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/some-say-that-you-should-not-want-money-at-all-because-the-desire-for/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [Death is but an aspect of life, and the destruction of one material form is but a prelude to building up of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-is-but-an-aspect-of-life-and-the-destruction-of-one-material/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I would call myself a Gnostic. Which means, I'm interested in pursuing and understanding the spiritual nature of things. A Gnostic is somebody seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-crumb/i-would-call-myself-a-gnostic-which-means-i-m-interested-in-pursuing/) [Robert Crumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-crumb/) > [One can be a great artist without being a great technician. There have been many famous ballet stars who did not have the ideal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-bujones/one-can-be-a-great-artist-without-being-a-great-technician-there-have/) Fernando Bujones > [I love fall because I love the whole cuddling aspect of it, and a sweater dress has that vibe of I'm going to hunker…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-chastain/i-love-fall-because-i-love-the-whole-cuddling-aspect-of-it-and-a/) [Jessica Chastain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-chastain/) > [The socially redeeming aspect of golf lies in the vast number of lawyers and bankers and managers who play it, and when you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/the-socially-redeeming-aspect-of-golf-lies-in-the-vast-number-of/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [I didnt like the Survivor shows because of the mean-spirited aspect, and women certainly were part of whatever conflict they would create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-lawrence/i-didnt-like-the-survivor-shows-because-of-the-mean-spirited-aspect/) [Sharon Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-lawrence/) > [MAC allowed me to have complete freedom on the collaborations—from the shades, the look-and-feel, to the campaign visuals. I have to admit that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-treacy/mac-allowed-me-to-have-complete-freedom-on-the-collaborations-from/) [Philip Treacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-treacy/) > [I mean family is more important than anything in life. Family is important than my crew, D-Block, my rap career anything... It's the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/styles-p/i-mean-family-is-more-important-than-anything-in-life-family-is/) [Styles P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/styles-p/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) Browse all 3,171 Aspect quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To draw a tree, to pay such close attention to every aspect of a tree, is an act of reverence not only toward the tree, and toward the earth itself, but also our human connection to it. This is one of the magical things about drawing -- it gives us almost visionary moments of connectedness.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alan Lee" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lee/to-draw-a-tree-to-pay-such-close-attention-to-every-aspect-of-a-tree/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Aspect" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lee/to-draw-a-tree-to-pay-such-close-attention-to-every-aspect-of-a-tree/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/824/alan-lee-29219_aspect_to-draw-a-tree-to-pay-such-close-attenti_1679479.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/824/alan-lee-29219_aspect_to-draw-a-tree-to-pay-such-close-attenti_1679479.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/824/alan-lee-29219_aspect_to-draw-a-tree-to-pay-such-close-attenti_1679479.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To draw a tree, to pay such close attention to every aspect of a tree, is an act of reverence not only…” — Alan Lee", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alan Lee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lee/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To draw a tree, to pay...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lee/to-draw-a-tree-to-pay-such-close-attention-to-every-aspect-of-a-tree/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lee/to-draw-a-tree-to-pay-such-close-attention-to-every-aspect-of-a-tree/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```