Check Out Tree Lily Butcher’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tree Lily Butcher.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Born Emily Read in Nashville, TN, I knew what I wanted to be very early in life: in the words of my 7-year-old self, “I want to be when I grow up I will be an artist and a mom because a mom is the best job in the world. An artist is a good job too I think because I love to paint pictures.”

As a high school student at The Webb School in Bell Buckle, TN, I started my own zine “Sheep Grenade” which caused quite a stir in the small country town due to age-appropriate obscenity. Through this experimental zine, I found my love of hand-cut collage.

In March of 2020, I was three months pregnant, an unemployed waitress full of fear, anxiety and depression. So, I shut myself into my at home art studio and ripped apart magazines while the world split at the seams. Change is at the very core of hand-cut collage and change is what inspired me to pursue art professionally.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No road is smooth. Obstacles are inevitable, but struggling and being miserable is optional. I started my art business pregnant in a pandemic- not something I ever had planned. I feel like doing so was akin to jumping from an airplane with all the tools I needed to build a parachute before I hit the ground- I haven’t crashed and burned yet!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My medium is hand-cut collage using vintage books and magazines. I create without the aid of a computer, which I pride myself on. I enjoy sourcing my material out in the world of thrift and antique stores rather than using Google Images.

I specialize in custom pet collages where I take a photo of your choice and place the pet somewhere quirky, interesting and surreal. This has been very popular. Not many people use collage as a medium, especially in Nashville. I am one of a handful of talented collage makers. This allows me to feel more community rather than competition with these other artists.

What’s next?
I had my first solo gallery exhibition, “Tree Lily Butcher: Music City of the Spheres” last February 5th at The Wedge Building (2020 Lindell Ave). “Music of the Spheres” is a philosophical concept that regards proportions in the movements of celestial bodies – the Sun, Moon, and planets – as a form of music. This ancient Greek theory was later developed by 16th-century astronomer Johannes Kepler. Kepler did not believe this “music” to be audible but felt that it could nevertheless be heard by the soul.

This exhibition is the visual exploration of Music City’s Music of the Spheres through hand-cut vintage collage. Each piece is created entirely by hand using an xacto-knife and without the aid of a computer. My vision is the capture of the inaudible music that radiates from Nashville’s soul. There will be 12 collages, bigger than I have ever handmade, at the show. I am thrilled and honored to have this opportunity to showcase my art for my hometown. Nashville is home of many great musicians but also has a thriving art scene.

As well as starting to work professionally as an artist, I have a non-profit I am working on called the “Nashville Makers Mixer”, which is a free quarterly networking event for makers and shakers in Nashville. We had our first event at Otto’s Bar on Charlotte in January. This was a very successful event where I made several new connections and have some special collaborations in the works for 2022 which were sparked from conversations there.

The next Nashville Makers Mixer will be held Wednesday, April 6th at Urban Cowboy from 6-9pm in the Parlor Wine Bar. Feel free to follow along @NashvilleMakersMixer on Instagram for updates on that event and community. These events are free and open to anyone who runs a business or wants to own a business. I envision everyone from artists to gallery owners, vintage clothing slingers, plant dealers and more to attend! Inclusivity is paramount to the success and health of this community. I want to give people the platform to meet up, swap business cards and take advantage of all the talent Nashville has to offer.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: treelilybutcher.com
• Instagram: @TreeLilys