I mean they cause me great suffering at this time of year. It’s awful really. They deposit all sorts, including the sticky bits mentioned last week which have ended up strewn all over the carpet…as well as the pollen cascading down & around, making my eyes itchy & my sinuses shut down.
But until autumn, when it all falls off, is there a nicer time to see trees than spring? When they are starting over & causing all kinds of optimism (somewhat irresponsibly)? Do we perhaps take their full “bloom” for granted over the brief summer months? But there they are, getting on with it in the background being amazing & saving the planet.
Now I’m off to blow my nose. Again.
Antony Sher (1949-2021), Palm Tree, Nevis (1985)
Antony Sher was not interested in drawing or painting anything that wasn't a person, unless it somehow LOOKED like a person. Once you know this, his still life work takes on a different life. It resulted, for instance, in the gaping mouths of shoes, with their lace-hole eyes as well as this fluffy-haired palm tree head.
Helene Schjerfbeck (1862-1946), Trees (1942)
Despite the minimalism of this painting – or perhaps because of it – it’s instantly recognisable as a Schjerfbeck. Another artist better known for her portraits & figures, her numerous self portraits are often as spare & abstracted as this.
Horatio McCulloch (1805-1867), The Blasted Tree (c.1838)
Once upon a time, there was a scary tree down the road as you approached Perth. It threw its arms out to grab you up from the road & absorb you probably. It just looked like a horror film tree, where it’s all broken looking & dead, yet it comes to life at just the wrong time. Now, driving past that field, I look & look & I don’t see it. This is almost as unnerving. Has it shape-shifted? Has it become invisible? There’s no way anyone would dare cut it down… Anyway, this painting reminds me of it. Only it’s not as scary.
Rembrandt (1606-1669), The Three Trees (1643)
Three trees & three reasons why Rembrandt is the Master. Staggeringly sensitive & detailed landscape.
Paul Nash (1889-1946), We Are Making a New World (1918)
As a war artist, Nash had seen it all & portrayed most of it. It’s obvious that the image shows blasted trees & a landscape pitted with bomb craters & scattered with trench-bodies. What raises this image to something other than simply tragic & depressing is the brilliantly sarcastic title. This, posits Nash is what we’re all fighting for & aren’t we proud?
Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928), The Tree of Personal Effort (1896)
The colours! It’s mystical & kind of esoteric & I love the clear Mackintosh motifs. I also love the watercolour wash & the revealing of the artist’s hand.
Hans Varnier the Elder, Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil (16th Century)
To be honest, to bother to explain this image would be insulting us both.
Gustav Doré (1832-1883), The Tree (1880)
As beautiful as Doré’s work always is, the carry on below the tree looks a bit folk horror. Being as it’s part of “The Divine Comedy” series, I think this is a fair enough description.
Gwen John (1876-1939), Group of Trees
As understated & beautiful as Gwen’s other works, this sketch shows the sort of artistic shorthand & quality of line that only comes with constant & disciplined drawing.
Austin Osman Spare (1886-1956), Trees of the Flesh
One of the many things I love about Spare is his relentless commitment to Make It Weird. Nudiness hiding in plain sight, figures not really hidden in the twisted branches, clawed hands reaching & grabbing, it’s like Arthur Rackham was on acid. Which is saying something.
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