Wood Church
“Many years ago, two hornbeam sentinels walked on bent legs and gnarled feet across farmland and forest to take up post at the edge of a village called Woodchurch, just beyond Hells Wood. There they stayed through the most ferocious winds of change, standing watch, battered yet rooted, protecting boundaries and reassuring locals with their resilience. And over time, as they stood stoically, moss and lichen slowly began to soften their knotted limbs and tenderly describe the shape of their deep nooks, quietly inviting the people of Woodchurch to look again at their ancient guards and honour their beauty and endurance.”
About:
Acrylic, pencil & ink on collage of printed wallpaper featuring a pattern created from another painting of mine titled Blue Lichen | Created in the studio & en plein air & framed with hornbeam from local woodland | 2021
This work is inspired by hornbeams visited throughout lockdown, rooted & resilient, and the comfort I found in their strangeness and sturdiness as they stood at the edge of a village called Woodchurch, where I recovered from the loss of both parents. These trees became sources of daily support & wonder.