Wednesday 18 June 2014

To The Great Tree-Loving Fraternity We Belong


AN IVY BRANCH hugs a tree with fierce love, its arms and legs making us believe it is almost a person. All over this ivy-person's body are painted people: bird-people, plant-people, animal-people, insect-people, fish-people and human-people, reaching out and loving the tree too, in the symbiotic way that forests demand of us all: we would not be here if it were not for trees, holding together the stories of our ecosystems, feeding us, housing us, giving us air to breathe, water to drink and swim in, and holding together with their roots the very earth we call our home. And yet, there is also a crack - threading through the tree into the ivy-person. How long can we hold on? The tree has been cut too, and in its beautiful, now-visible rings, we can read the words: To the great tree-loving fraternity we belong...



I have just finished painting this piece and it is already winging its way to the gallery where it will be on display from tomorrow(!) I was asked to submit a piece to the latest exhibition at Brighton's ONCA gallery (One Network for Conservation & the Arts) which is an artistic celebration of trees. The 100 Project, as it is called, will last for 100 hours, and the aim of the project is that ONCA will create two forests: one in the gallery of 100 tree-related artworks, and one outside in the London Road area of Brighton where they will plant 100 trees! The artworks are all less that 20cm square in size and will all be for sale at £100 - half the sale price going to the artist, and half toward the tree-planting. Artworks are by professional artists as well as local school children and youth groups, and the whole project is in association with the Earth Restoration Service, which seeks to rectify environmental degradation by working with small local communities to enhance the integrity of local ecosystems. Green Party MP Caroline Lucas will be opening the tree-planting event on Saturday, and the special guest at tomorrow night's opening will be a lime tree.


Inspired by this project I agreed to make a piece to go in this art-forest, and had the very piece of wood waiting to be used. This was given to me by someone who thought it reminded them of my work, and for me, the tree-huggingness of its shape begged to be made into a three dimensional painting about tree-love.


I worked fast as the deadline zoomed towards me, and gradually covered the ivy-person with smaller tree-loving people of varying species...


It became quite a thing. It is still very fresh in my creative eye, so I can't really see it now as I know I will in a few weeks, by which time it may be sold! I can see why flat paintings took off! - this was immensely fiddly to achieve, but I nevertheless enjoyed it - a combination of three and two dimensions. 
The quote, by the way, is by Henry Ward Beecher, and I found it after completing the painting because I felt it needed words too, and these seemed to sum up what I was trying to say perfectly (although I of course do not exclude any sorority in the Great Tree-Loving!)


May this painting and all its fellow art-forest works go some way to re-entwining all the tree-loving peoples with their great green-armed beloveds.



24 comments:

Catherine said...

Can I buy it now and get it sent after the show?

Anita said...

This is amazing and my first thought was that this will never make it to the show...

Madison Woods said...

A gorgeous piece! I've always loved the vine wrapped branches I've found, so full of character. Your painting worked wonderfully.

Deborah said...

Beautiful & inspiring 🌱

Unknown said...

Can I hug this please!

Heather said...

This is such a magical piece - I could look at it for ages. It will surely be snapped up.

niffy said...

Rima, you have captured the spirit of these pieces of wood absolutely perfectly: magical and natural, earthy and raw. Stunning, as usual. Beautiful!!

Jess said...

Fantastic! Wonderful! This will surely go to the home of a tree and nature lover and be treasured for many years. (I wish it was mine) ;) I love how the peoples' reaching arms follows the movement of growth. The earthy-red background colour is perfect too. Very well done!
Jess xx

Karen said...

A wonderful piece Rima. In one of the photographs, the wooden shape reminds me of a human heart,aorta and arteries. Makes it all the more poignant.
I bet it gets snapped up immediately at the exhibition! :)

sarah said...

This is beautiful and thought-provoking, heart-stirring.

José Luis Coral Soler said...

Muy bonito!

Charlotte said...

It is lovely. Full of twinyness (I know it is not a real word but it fits). Good luck to such a great exhibition. I still think the collective noun for trees should be a necessity.

The Country Witch said...

What a stunningly beautiful piece of artwork! It really hits the heart and fills the spirit. I think it will be sold very quickly!

martine said...

This is really beautiful, thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

So lovely!

Velma Bolyard said...

there is a beautiful urgency in this piece.

Lunar Hine said...

'Tis a marvellous thing. Wish I could have met it in the bark.

Monika Schmid said...

You have created another magical, beautiful piece. It is like a fairytale. I could look at it for ages and the quote is perfect for it too. Well done, lovely Rima!

Crystaldreamweddings said...

I love the way your art is progressing, it's like a sculpture. It's amazing.

Els said...

Ohhhhh what a wonderful piece, Rima It must have been so tempting to think of all the things you would like to paint on it .... That form ! is so special !!!
There will be lots of admirers who want to see it in the flesh (uhhh sorry the wood)
(would love to see it myself but that's not possible ;-) ... so I will just marvel at the pictures !!!)

The Flying Tortoise said...

Totally wonderful you beautiful lady...
X

LaceLady said...

This work is so stunning ~ took my breath away. tears of strong emotions - the joy, delight, movement, strength, delicacy, growth - of your work continues. Thank you ever so much for this post! I would build a special place for it, if I am ever in a position to give it a home.

Rellie said...

Your work is very, very, very beautiful. Thank you for creating and sharing.

Anonymous said...

Hi Rima! I really like your work, I have been a reader of your blog for four or five years now and honestly enjoy every single word of your tales. Congratulations for your new web and let me tell you that even though the minimalist design is supreme (it's clean, intelligent) I will deeply miss the house in the forest of the old version (it was like Peter Pan's refuge or a hobbit hole). Anyway, a big hug!