The Tulip Tree Series
THE TULIP TREE SERIES
For two years I visited a particular tree, a Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera). I watched and photographed it through the seasons, documenting its changes through paintings and drawings.
I was there when the first buds appeared, the fresh green leaves unfurled, when the tulip-like flowers bloomed and withered and the leaf canopy filled out. I spotted the first golden leaves, then watched as the whole tree turned deep orange, then brown and finally I saw it stripped naked by the wind. In two successive winters I trudged through the snow to visit the tree in shades of white, brown and grey.
I was first drawn to the Tulip tree because of its elegant form, the simplicity of its trunk, its shapely leaves, extraordinary flowers and a canopy I could stand within. As I’ve spent more time with it I’ve been rewarded by a sense of a much deeper presence and a timeless wisdom within its form. I hope some of this experience is conveyed in the work.
For two years I visited a particular tree, a Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera). I watched and photographed it through the seasons, documenting its changes through paintings and drawings.
I was there when the first buds appeared, the fresh green leaves unfurled, when the tulip-like flowers bloomed and withered and the leaf canopy filled out. I spotted the first golden leaves, then watched as the whole tree turned deep orange, then brown and finally I saw it stripped naked by the wind. In two successive winters I trudged through the snow to visit the tree in shades of white, brown and grey.
I was first drawn to the Tulip tree because of its elegant form, the simplicity of its trunk, its shapely leaves, extraordinary flowers and a canopy I could stand within. As I’ve spent more time with it I’ve been rewarded by a sense of a much deeper presence and a timeless wisdom within its form. I hope some of this experience is conveyed in the work.