For Atlanta painter Elizabeth Lang, winter is more than a season. It is a reset button. That idea shapes “Evergreen,” her landscape for this year’s Trees Atlanta holiday card program. The program plants a shade tree for every $25 donation. Lang’s artwork shows a snowy skyline framed by southeastern evergreens. The image invites viewers to see Atlanta as she does: a city held close by trees.
“I wanted the artwork…to convey the idea of Atlanta as a ‘City in a Forest,’” Lang says. “The scene is meant to feel like a view from a wooded pathway, looking out toward the city blanketed in snow.”
The image feels small and quiet. A path winds forward. Snow falls gently. Blue buildings sit in the distance. Yet Lang built the work around a larger feeling. She wanted to capture the emotional shift that happens when someone steps into nature, even inside a busy city.
“I hope this card serves as a reminder of Atlanta’s remarkable forest and how much it means to our community—and also that it needs our care.
Painter Elizabeth lang
Finding peace on the trail
Lang often turns to the outdoors for clarity. That theme runs through her painting practice. Time in the woods invites stillness. Winter makes that stillness stronger.
“For me, nature is a reminder to slow down,” Lang says. “Winter—when so many things are dormant—amplifies that feeling.”
“Evergreen” reflects that pause. The trees rise like sentinels on both sides of the trail. Snow drifts toward the viewer. Atlanta sits quietly in the near distance.
“I wanted Evergreen to capture a sense of peace by showing the viewer surrounded by towering trees and gentle snow flurries,” she says. “The city [is] resting quietly in the near distance.”
Atlanta’s parks as muse
Lang hikes often in North Georgia and the Smoky Mountains. But Atlanta’s urban canopy also shapes her work. Parks like Grant Park, Candler Park, and Piedmont Park have grounded her for years. Each one offers the same lift she finds on mountain trails.
“Each of those places…has the ability to make me feel far away from whatever is stressful, even while being in the middle of the city,” Lang says.
That mix of escape and proximity sits at the center of Evergreen. The scene suggests a short walk from noise to calm. It captures the hush that follows snowfall.
A longtime connection with Trees Atlanta
Lang is no stranger to collaborating with Trees Atlanta. She’s a regular volunteers with the non-profit, leading workshops designed to help Atlantans notice the trees around them.
Through that work, she’s seen the range of ways people connect with the canopy.
“Some are eager to learn about native species… Others simply appreciate trees for their beauty or for the shade and comfort they bring,” Lang says. “Regardless of the type of appreciation someone has, people can come together around a shared desire to protect the trees we love.”
That inclusive spirit shaped how she approached this year’s card design, aiming for a work that resonates equally with donors who can identify every white oak and loblolly pine and those who simply love the calm of a tree-lined path.
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What she hopes people feel
Every Trees Atlanta card includes a note that a tree will be planted in the recipient’s honor. Lang hopes her artwork deepens that gesture.
“I hope this card serves as a reminder of Atlanta’s remarkable forest and how much it means to our community—and also that it needs our care,” she says. “Trees Atlanta works tirelessly to protect and restore the tree canopy, and I hope this image inspires others to support and participate in that work.”
For Lang, “Evergreen” offers a gentle reminder to slow down. It invites viewers to notice the forest that supports the city, season after season.
How to send the Trees Atlanta holiday card
Trees Atlanta’s holiday card program lets donors plant a shade tree in honor of someone with a $25 contribution. Each card includes a printed message explaining that a tree will be planted as part of forest restoration work. The work supports projects across metro Atlanta. Donors can order single cards or sets through Trees Atlanta’s online portal.