Glenn Marshall - Yorkshire Artist
  • Home
  • Biography
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • GALLERY

A tale of two trees.....

8/9/2013

0 Comments

 
                                                                                                    ....or how I became known as Treeman
Picture
"Forest Lessened - Fallen Tree" Original watercolour by Glenn Marshall
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. 
Picture
"Old Man of Otley" Original watercolour by Glenn Marshall
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.
A full range of cards and prints of these and other paintings by Glenn Marshall are available to purchase.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Professional artist now semi retired and enjoying being eccentric!

    Archives

    September 2022
    June 2022
    February 2022
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.