Red Leaves and Glimmers of Gold

The Red Leaf Creative Collaborative is deeply grateful to the growing community of artists who are helping to shape this project, quite literally ‘one red leaf at a time’. Together, we are building a virtual exhibition of red leaves as a demonstration of creativity, connection, and our collective hope for treatments and a cure for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. Some of the pieces and narratives shared so far with the Red Tree Creative Collaborative are deeply personal, offering glimpses into the lived experience of people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. For some, meaning is found in the quiet strength of nature or human connection; while for others, it is rooted in personal faith.

Professor Chris Ponting, on behalf of Decode ME, was one of the scientists who kindly shared a red leaf message of hope with The Red Tree and ME as we entered 2025 which has helped to inspire and which resonates with some of the pieces submitted so far.

For a community burdened by decades of disbelief, neglect, and medical abandonment, the initial results from Decode ME released this month go way beyond marking a scientific milestone - they shine a piercing light into the shadows, exposing what was once kept hidden and illuminating and validating lived experience. It is in the light of science that hope is nurtured, not as fragile wishful thinking, but as something grounded in objective evidence. For those living with ME and their carers, for whom hope is often frail, these findings provide much needed seams of gold to restore hope.

I am excited to share four beautiful red leaf pieces submitted to the project by UK artists which have resonated with the Red Leaf Creative Collaborative, especially in light of the Decode ME initial findings:

The Kintsugi Leaf Of Hope

Helen Stout, UK - Pastel on Paper using tape resist method

Helen writes: ‘The Kintsugi Leaf Of Hope was inspired by the Japanese art of Kintsugi, where broken ceramics are repaired with gold, giving them new life whilst creating something more beautiful and resilient. I often find that hope is shattered in pieces around me - we suffer so many setbacks, on top of living housebound or bedbound for years, unseen and ignored. The thought that research can provide the gold to piece hope (and our lives) back together is what keeps me going.’

The Enchanted Red Tree

Shirley Kay, UK - Mixed media mosaic

‘The Enchanted Red Tree’ has been ‘inspired by the love, strength and solidarity of The Red Tree and ME project’ and represents a dream for an ideal future where red leaves are in abundance and glimmers of gold are plentiful.

This piece echoes Shirley’s Red Leaf of Hope, again incorporating fragments of mirror, glass, ceramic shapes, glass leaves, millefiori and hand-shaped wire. The complex intricacies of both of Shirley’s captivating works serve as a reminder that when more pieces of the ME puzzle have finally been connected, and research has produced treatments and a cure, we will be able to view the ‘whole’ made up of many the red leaves and glimmers of gold we have found along the way. I visualise being able to look back on the initial findings of the Decode ME study as one of the first, of hopefully many more, significant glimmers of gold in the bigger picture.

Circle Me

Chris Duffett, UK

Chris writes: ‘This painting is called 'Circle me' and is based on the ancient Celtic Cairn prayer. “Circle me, Lord God, keep hope in and despair out. Circle me, Lord God, keep light in and darkness out. Circle me, Lord God, keep life in and illness out.” There are five leaves that form the prayer. Five in the Bible symbolises grace. The gold in the middle symbolises where you are, surrounded by God's grace.'

There will be Golden Days

Vivien Townsend, UK - Acrylic paint and collage

Vivien writes: 'Sometimes I feel on a rocky road or walking through mud . I have come a long way in my 15 years and have good days or even spells of calm and acceptance. This work is full of moving towards light and treasuring each moment of whatever gives us the feel good factor. It's hard not to be overwhelmed at times but now in the autumn of my life I still keep a little hope for breakthrough and a cure.’

The current plan is that One Red Leaf at a Time: an international art project will run through the remainder of 2025, culminating in a virtual exhibition.

If you, or anyone you know, would like to contribute a creative expression on the theme of ‘One Red Leaf at a Time’, to support the aims of this project, please register your interest. If you are unable to access the form (e.g. if you do not have a Google account) please send an email to jo(at)theredtreeandme.com and we will send you the details for submitting your artwork.