While a local artist branched out from her landscape work to explore human circulatory systems and structures of the brain, most of her drawings are still rooted in nature.

On Tuesday, Sept. 29, artists Lee Deigaard and Rachel Jones Deris will have their opening reception in the Collins C. Diboll Gallery, located on the 4th floor of Loyola’s Monroe library. Deris will show new paintings, while Deigaard will show drawings and photogenic drawings largely inspired by trees in New Orleans.

Deigaard’s inspiration includes that of trees found in New Orleans landscape settings like bayous, lakes and rivers.

“These are the works I made in my first years of living in New Orleans, grappling with the landscape and the role of water,” Deigaard said.

Even though Zoe Blair, studio arts sophomore, does not do landscape drawings, she said she has always been drawn to the trees when taking photographs around the city.

“They completely dominate a composition, or they draw the eye around it with their sprawling limbs,” Blair said.

Having lived in New Orleans prior to Hurricane Katrina, Deigaard features posthumous portraits of trees in her drawings.

“Actual trees once living, now lost, and others still living appear in one way or another in nearly all the works in the show,” Deeigaard said.

Deigaard and Deris’ opening reception comes as one of the few major art shows featuring local artists to be shown this year due to budget cuts, according to Mark Grote, professor of visual arts.

“This is a loss for all on campus,” Grote said. “It’s sad to think that when money gets tight the first thing we cut are things that are inspiring and creative.”