Acrylic, leaves and bark collaged on MDF
120cm x 30cm
£250
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Silk Wood combines acrylic pour paintings with birch bark and fallen leaves collected at Westonbirt in the Autumn of 2021. By alternating collaged leaves with acrylic pours, I am drawing the viewer towards the painting, encouraging them to engage with the differences between the real and the imagined in the shapes and colours created.
These leaves were all collected in the autumn after they had fallen from trees within the arboretum. As leaves lose the green chlorophyll pigment that allows them to create energy, the other pigments within the leaves become apparent, bringing to light the wonderful colours of autumn. These leaves have been dropped from the tree, no longer useful to it to provide it with energy. However, they show exquisite colours and beauty in their fragility. This links to the idea of disabled people being marginalised and disenfranchised within society, with their talents, and what makes them each unique often being dismissed.