Brain injury led her to nature: Now she creates with aspens

Photo: Kris Ward Branching out

After a horse-riding accident left her with a brain injury, Kris Ward discovered healing in transforming fallen aspens into art

MIDWAY, Utah — When Kris Ward suffered a traumatic brain injury, she never imagined it would lead to launching a successful family business decorating homes and businesses throughout Summit and Wasatch counties with custom, hand-curated art installations using nature as her canvas.

In fall 2019, Ward was thrown from her horse, resulting in a severe head injury. Her recovery involved months of treatment at the Park City Concussion Clinic for vertigo and other symptoms, requiring numerous doctors, therapies and treatments.

The process was particularly challenging because Ward, unable to drive or handle normal family responsibilities, needed full-time care from her husband, Steve, while they simultaneously cared for their son, Jared, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair.

“It was a long, difficult winter trying to recover from the brain injury, and I was getting more and more depressed and isolated, as the recovery was slow and intense,” Ward said.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, it further exacerbated her isolation and created additional concerns about keeping her son healthy and safe. “My husband and I knew we were in it for the long haul, having to keep our son at home with his high-risk factors.”

To combat isolation and aid her healing, Ward began collecting bark shed from fallen aspen trees on her property. She started repurposing the materials into yard art, which evolved into an unexpected business. Her early creations included installations of artfully arranged trunks and bark in large decorative planters, illuminated with copper LED lights.

“The more I built and put these creations together, the more I was able to escape the fear and depression of the recovery from the accident,” she said.

With encouragement from friends, Ward launched Branching Out. Word spread quickly through social media, and she soon employed a friend while neighbors offered trees from their properties. She and her husband learned to use chainsaws, and other friends and family members joined the endeavor.

Her creations expanded to include florals and “Bark Art” for walls, outdoor planters, window boxes and troughs. The business now offers florals for weddings and special events. One bestseller is their trademarked “Skiing the Trees” design, which incorporates old skis into a bark forest design.

The business serves residential and commercial clients throughout Wasatch and Summit counties, including Red Ledges, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Spruce Interiors, the city of Midway and the Lake House Restaurant on Deer Creek Reservoir.

“Kris and her team’s work is so artistic, classy and original. We love how it transforms our restaurant,” said John Platt, owner of Midway Mercantile, who regularly employs Ward’s team for installations.

What began in a four-car garage moved to a small studio off Main Street in Midway before relocating to a dedicated “Branching Out” barn at Ward’s home in 2023, which serves as a studio, workshop and showroom.

The business has become truly family-operated, with Jared and Steve making custom cutting boards. As longtime members of Park City’s National Ability Center, where Ward serves on the board of directors, a percentage of proceeds benefits the nonprofit.

“Branching Out has truly been one of the most unexpected journeys of my life,” Ward said. “One buck off my horse literally catapulted me into a totally new existence. My love of nature was the ultimate inspiration to create and repurpose the beautiful aspen trees. To give them new life, just as creating them, gave me a new life.”