Tree-spiration

Sketchbook tour, artist inspiration, book recommendations and exhibitions to visit

Here are some tree-related bits and bobs which I hope might offer inspiration for the remainder of the Winter Trees Daily Drawing Challenge

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Artist Inspiration

Breakfast of the Birds, Gabriele Munter

Gabriele Munter Breakfast of the Birds this painting is about more than just a tree. But I adore it. Everything in it is so well observed - the bullfinch (pink breasted bird) and the tilt of the head of the person at the table. The sense of hope suggested by the warmth of the light that falls on the tablecloth. A depiction of a woman, alone but comforted by the presence of birds on a tree outside her window. This was the first painting by Munter that I saw. It’ll probably always be a favourite.

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Pennine Valley, Peter Brook

A less internationally renown artist - but one of local significance is Peter Brook. And I love his depictions of trees.

Snow Mist Last January, Peter Brook

The joyful marks of children’s tree drawings in a workshop I created for The Hepworth Wakefield.

First Snow - Mednyánszky

The road in front of Saint Simeon farm in winter - Claude Monet, 1867

Garden Under snow - Paul Gauguin, 1879

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Learning More - Identification

Larch - Lots! In the winter sun. Larch is deciduous, meaning it drops its needles.

A friend taught us this little rhyme to help identify trees by their needles:

Spruce - Single / Pine - Pairs / Larch - Lots!

Some aids to help you identify the trees around you (UK):

• Handy pocket swatch from the Woodland Trust

• If you find apps handy, here is one from the Woodland Trust

• This website offers clear information on Winter Tree ID - with options to ID by shape, cones, branches, buds and catkins

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Trees in the landscape - in depth

If you like the sound of paying close attention to individual trees - things such as what the angle of the leaves might tell you - then this book offers an in depth read.

How to read a tree by Tristan Gooley pub. Hodder Press

“Over the years, I have enjoyed collecting every meaningful characteristic of trees that we can observe. It started with natural navigation and an obsession with the ways in which trees can make a compass - they grow bigger on their southern side, for example. This developed into a fascination with how trees make a map for us: the trees that grow by rivers are different species from those on hilltops. And this blossomed into a curiosity about the subtler clues, the patterns that hide in front of our eyes.

… The smallest details open bigger worlds. You notice that the leaves on a tree have a strong pale line down their middle and recalll that this is a sign of water nearby. Moments later you see the river.”

One of many tree themed books available from this charity

Other book recommendations:

• I also wanted to recommend “Arboreal - A collection of new woodland writing” published by Little Toller, but it doesn’t appear to be available on their website at the moment. This book caught my eye however. They offer a range of great titles - beware!

• This book will change the way you think about trees forever

• A book about woodlands by one of my favourite writers

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Visit

Uk exhibitions:

• Of the Oak at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

• Performing Trees at Whitworth Art Gallery

• The Art of Trees at the Harley Foundation

• Ghost Trees walk & exhibition at Croft Castle National Trust

• The Quietness of Feeling - Paintings by Benjamin Haughton at Portsmouth Museum

Obviously a trip to the woods is a great way to discover trees. But you will find interesting trees planted in parks, formal gardens and church yards. Its also worth checking if you have an arboretum within travelling distance as they are places that care for collections of trees - often from around the world.

I hope something here has sparked a little inspiration to sustain you through the final days of this month’s drawing project.

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Please feel free to share your suggestions for sources of inspiration in the comments!

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Thanks for reading

Jo

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