Why Trees Feature in My Paintings
Artists across the world and across the ages have depicted trees in art. There is clearly something about trees that have inspired people culturally, metaphorically and spiritually. In this post, I will share with you what it is about trees that inspire me to feature them in my paintings, and a little bit about how important they are to us.
I started to write about trees over 10 years ago, and in 2016 I published the book, "Whispers of the Landscape". It was a collection of words and paintings that took a deeper look into what was inspiring my artworks at the time. I hadn't long been writing about my art, but I made an effort to express myself through short poems and little insights. I really ought to do a second updated edition, but in the meantime I thought I'd share with you what I was writing about then, and what has changed for me in the last decade.
The following section is extracted from that book.
"One of my constants, and favourite subjects, is trees. I am fascinated by their shapes and how they sit harmoniously in the landscape. My favourite times to sketch trees in preparation for paintings is during three seasons.
"My friend the tree,
standing patiently as I pass by.
These sentinels of the land
with shimmering leaves quaking in the breeze,
transmitting messages of love and healing.
Their trunks of strength, roots of stability and flexible limbs
inspirit me with vitality and resilience."
During the Autumn when their leaves are turning and fruit is produced lends a richness to my paintings that invite me to use gold leaf and mica flakes to describe it. I also love the berries and hips of autumn bushes that grow along the fields and lanes.
Winter shows the starkness and beauty of the bare tree that is silently resting. This is a wonderful time of year for me, and I often paint winter scenes with textured snow to emphasise the dynamic contrasts.
In Spring the trees come to life, when they show buds and blossom in the new warmth of the sun. Particularly beautiful trees are the cherry, pear and apple with their delicate blossom. The new sticky buds of the horse chestnut and the silvery leaf buds of the rowan tree are always sure signs of Spring, and they inspired me to paint them as they carry the sense of hope and anticipation.
My favourite trees are the Birch family, with their pale silvery trunks contrasting against the landscape. For me they create a balance within the painting that is feminine, graceful and magical. The different types of Birch have individual growth patterns, so some reach upwards with positivity while others gracefully drape their twigs down in a balletic curve creating a beautiful crown of branches and leaves.
I take strength form a tree that bends in the wind, as it reminds me to be flexible in times when I am enduring a life challenge, and to know that when it is over I will stand up straight again.
The fact that trees are rooted to the earth but stretch up to the sky offers something spiritual that I want to included in my paintings. They remind me of our origins and our existence. As I paint the tree I always start with the grounding trunk and allow the tree to express itself as my brush moves ever upward as it divided and divides again.
As the twigs appear, the crown gives the impression of shelter and protection with their close knit appearance. As the tree completes I sense the tree as a peaceful and spiritual presence in my painting."
You can still buy this book on Amazon here.
The wonderful thing about revisiting this book is that it reminds me that painting trees is an ongoing inspiration. All that has changed is the natural growth one would expect from an artist, in both the art created and the way I write about it. Over the years the way I paint trees has become a consistent style, but now painted with more depth and intention. Just last week a student remarked in a workshop I was running, that my trees had a certain style and we had a little discussion about the way artists develop their own way of depicting things.
It is clear that I still draw strength from painting trees, but there is also an element of nostalgia as I think about how I learned about nature as a child. The tree is home to wildlife, and it sustains all animals and humans in many ways, from construction to medicine.
It is abundantly clear that trees are vital for our survival. Trees provide essential environmental, health, and economic benefits. Woodland Trust
Amazing things about trees are being discovered all the time. This is exciting, and helps us to understand the relationship between trees and its surroundings. It is only in recent times that scientists have discovered the interconnectedness of trees and the ways they communicate with each other. You can read more about that here.
There is also the cultural consideration of what a tree symbolises in the sense of wisdom and archetypes. The tree is seen as a symbol of life, growth, death, rebirth, connection, and the cycle of time across global cultures. If that is of interest to you, there is more you can read about trees in mythology here.
Painting something that is so essential to life gives me joy, but also a responsibility - to depict them as peaceful, benevolent and comforting sentinels in the landscape.
Thank you for joining me again this month. I hope you have enjoyed reading about what goes on behind the scenes.
Back next month,
Debs x
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