Family Tree

I've been struggling for over a month with a painting that was inspired by a walnut tree that fell near out cottage during our stay on Birr Castle Demense. We came out one morning to see the tree uprooted and lying across the main driveway near the gates. It rested on a fresh flower bed planted in memory of the father of the current owner, Lord Rosse.




The bench we had so innocently enjoyed several days before is dwarfed by the massive root structure.


It was sad to see such a majestic tree in a horizontal position squatting a memorial to the person who was probably responsible for putting it there. In the end the tree was sold to a local woodworker who will dry the wood for use in his work. I liked that idea- that the tree keeps living on in another form.

Testimony to the passage of time. The centre section is the most precious.

The work in my Reading a Garden series is vertical on 10 x 24 inch board. I am trying to give the sense of the fallen tree using a vertical format. Added to that is my desire to use the branches of the tree as a metaphor for the family tree of the Parsons family. How do you do all that and not create a trite painting? Quite a challenge but last night I think I had a breakthrough. Time will tell.