Woodland Tapestry

112 cm x 142 cm

Oil on canvas

Unframed

'Woodland Tapestry' was a labour of love and the largest and most challenging painting Ive made.

The journey to create this piece began with walks through nature, searching for a view that resonated with me.

It was the  bank of Sycamore trees in Cockington Park that caught my attention, with its moss-laden branches adorned with lichen. It was more than just the tree itself; it was the way it framed the cooler hues in the background, creating a complex network of branches. Some areas were punctuated by remnants of autumn and the early signs of new growth.

As winter turned to spring during the painting process, the image of an elaborate woven tapestry came to mind.  My goal was to continue the approach of connecting my visits with memory, which I had begun developing with 'Light through the Rhododendrons'—a piece completed on-site during my solo exhibition last year.

Creating this intricate subject in the studio, on a larger scale, without relying on photography, forced me to rely on my personal experience of the subject and place. It encouraged me to take a more intuitive approach, sometimes inventing motifs to express areas where precise details had faded from memory.

Throughout the process, I made regular visits to the Sycamore tree, often just to sit and observe. The changing weather, the sounds, scents, and the wildlife that appeared during my visits kept my curiosity and imagination alive, breathing life into the entire creative process.