Last June, I undertook a residency in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, where I explored the forest's ancient trees while engaging with the local community. It was a truly special experience. The residency concluded with an exhibition at The Studio in Blakeney. Below is an extract from the exhibition press release:

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"​In these turbulent times, with unnecessary conflicts and the rise of autocratic leaders I cannot respect, I felt the need to focus on what I do respect. I found that in the magnificent trees of the Forest of Dean, especially the ancient chestnuts at Bigsweir, many hundreds of years old. I was drawn to walk among them, sit beneath them, feel their texture, breathe in the scent of wood, and watch the movement of their branches and leaves. Through sketching them, I found myself slowing down, thinking more carefully – following their organic forms and lines with my ink pen on paper. Time spent beside them, together with my friends Bruce and Novvy, reminds me that the world doesn’t have to be as it is. We can all try to be friends and our leaders will be much better. I believe we can learn a great deal about ourselves, and become kinder by spending time with trees and caring for them.

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I can’t stop seeing faces and limbs in the trunks and branches, suggesting humans or fantastical forest creatures. Sometimes I try to let go of these visions and simply see the trees as they are. In that, they are even more extraordinary. For example, the way they communicate and send nutrients to support one another through the underground mycelium networks is truly remarkable. Usually, I begin with a clear concept, but this time I wanted the idea to emerge from the experience itself. My past work explores painting and drawing through the lens of syntax and language, so I see these drawings as an extension of my gestural interpretation of text. I believe this marks the beginning of trees shaping my practice in diverse and profound  new ways.”

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In the exhibition, I presented my drawings of the forest's trees alongside my first large-scale tree mural. The response from the people was really positive. As the photographs show, people naturally gathered around the mural, touching it and sharing conversations about their love of and fascination with nature. Michel Krenzer, Director of Energy at SCOR, saw the work and invited me to create five large-scale murals for the company's offices in the City of London. SCOR is one of the leading companies in ecosystem restoration underwriting, supporting scientific research, and reducing operational emissions. It was eye-opening to speak with Michel and his colleagues and to discover that, alongside commercial interests, there is also a genuine commitment among some major organisations to care for our environment. We need their support if we are to address the climate crisis.

In both places, the tree murals became informal gathering spaces where people came together to talk about hope, cooperation. I was invited by The Ecological Citizen to publish some of my tree drawings. Here is their recent publication, featuring my work on the cover and on pages 22–29:

https://www.ecologicalcitizen.net/pdfs/Vol%209%20No%201.pdf

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