....or how I became known as Treeman
You may have noticed by now that I like trees. Yes I do.....I admit it. I'm not a tree 'hugger' though - it's just that I respect they are alive and have been around a lot longer than us. I always feel at home in forests and I think our earliest ancestors must have sought out wood and forests to live in. They would have been provided with shelter, wood to build homes as well as their fires and a plentiful supply of food to eat - a neolithic 'des-res'. When I first began to paint I found woods a very useful place for inspiration. They gave me shadows, inexhaustible shapes to build interesting compositions and a plentiful supply of what I needed most as an artist.....light. So I produced so many tree paintings that I became known as the Treeman. Believe me this is definitely not the worst I have been called! To be honest I like it and feel flattered that so many people recognise me just by that name, so 'Treeman' I am. I paint all kinds of subjects now of course but whenever I get low on inspiration where do I go? Yup...back to the trees...it never fails me.
As for the painting above- I passed this fallen giant almost daily for a period of months as part of my riverside walk when I lived in York. I knew I would paint it, but didn't know how or when. I had to be patient but finally felt the time had come. By now it was bleached almost white and made a skeletal contrast with the exuberant life all around it. So that was the starting point. I carefully used masking fluid to protect the tree shape. This meant I could be as free as I wanted with the painting because the bleached tree was safe under the mask. I made sure that the darkest colours surrounded the fallen tree to exaggerate the the stark whiteness of the skeleton. I was very pleased with the result and even now I think it stands the test of time.
As for the painting above- I passed this fallen giant almost daily for a period of months as part of my riverside walk when I lived in York. I knew I would paint it, but didn't know how or when. I had to be patient but finally felt the time had come. By now it was bleached almost white and made a skeletal contrast with the exuberant life all around it. So that was the starting point. I carefully used masking fluid to protect the tree shape. This meant I could be as free as I wanted with the painting because the bleached tree was safe under the mask. I made sure that the darkest colours surrounded the fallen tree to exaggerate the the stark whiteness of the skeleton. I was very pleased with the result and even now I think it stands the test of time.
I fell in love with this old giant at first sight. I only had one shot at him though as he is situated in Otley Chevin which is a famous beauty spot in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Although showing signs of his great age I felt he had enough energy left to rise to his full height and show these surrounding upstarts he was still "King of the Forest". Fanciful I know and probably related to my own situation. I painted him in a similiar style to 'Forest Lessened'. They were framed the same and hung together in Gallery Forty Nine shortly after it first opened. I was very pleased indeed when they sold as a pair as I felt they were a perfect complement.
Incidentally do you know what was the first ever piece to be sold in Gallery Nine. Used as part of the pre opening publicity this was the first image sold. Who produced it? Not me but my wife Merice and I think it's still one of her best! Check out her website.
Incidentally do you know what was the first ever piece to be sold in Gallery Nine. Used as part of the pre opening publicity this was the first image sold. Who produced it? Not me but my wife Merice and I think it's still one of her best! Check out her website.
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