a love of trees

In the last month I have been including trees in my abstract landscapes again. The one above is my latest one, finished just a couple of days ago. While I was painting it I was thinking back on all the trees I've painted over the years. I mean the the ones that have been an important part of the story the painting is telling, not just ones that form a background to another focal point like a building or mountain.

Trees have been an ongoing theme for me. I add them to a painting to tell a story. The way trees are shaped, rooted to the ground or rocks, their colours and size carries message or an emotion in the same way the expression on a face can. Trees routed to the ground give a sense of place. Solitary trees give a sense of space, isolation, or serenity. Knarled trees have character, a reflection of the life they have led. Not all my trees are serious, though, often I just want to convey the beauty of nature, the joy of colour, the whimsy of imagination.

Plus, I'm definitely a tree hugger. Ask any of my friends. No walk in the bush is complete without a tree hug.

So this morning while waiting for paint to dry (the ongoing occupational hazard of a painter!), I dug way back in my archives to find some of my favourite tree paintings from the years.

Enjoy!

From 2007...

Here's to more trees for 2018. I'm already excited to clear my studio of current projects and do a large one :-)
PS
Of the paintings shown here, only the top one is still available (please enquire). I have a number of little ones not shown available here.