Watercolour and pen on paper
71cm x 61cm in frame
£175
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This watercolour painting of an oriental plane tree combines a close-up of the tree trunk with a view in a different direction up towards the canopy of the tree. Being partially sighted, I intended this painting to capture something of the way in which I personally engage with nature. It combines expressive, abstract elements in the background of the sky and the canopy, with more detailed sections on the trunk of the tree. This mirrors how I see large vistas out of focus, while enjoying playfully getting up close to look at and touch details.
The close-up of the bark on the tree trunk is intended to encourage the viewer to get close to the tree, to look at and feel the detail of the bark.  The view up towards the sky is intended to encourage the viewer to stand close to the tree trunk and look up through the canopy, listening to the moving leaves and the wildlife.
I have included a plaque on the tree trunk similar to those found throughout Westonbirt Arboretum. The message on this plaque demonstrates my love for trees, and the high value that we ought to place on them and their preservation. This plaque reads:
Platanus Orientalis
Oriental Plane
I stand on your street wearing bark like your warriors’ garb. My bark will soak up your pollution and, cleansing your city air, drop it in flakes on your crowded streets, to be swept away with your litter. Breathe deep.