Oak Tree on Caton’s Lane (2025) depicts an oak tree standing in solitude against the rugged winter landscape in which the oak tree still stands despite the harsh environment. This brings the viewer feelings of endurance, survival and, of course, solitude. The oak tree creates a silhouette form, which gives the work contrast and draws the viewer’s eye directly towards the survival of this oak tree and how it stands strong. Thus, this tree brings contemplation for the viewer as it stands alone and within the calming solitude of a winter day.
The image’s colour palette feels vintage and as though its a snapshot of a memory. The occasional deliberate imperfections that feed into this nostalgia seem to replicate how early photographic processes had imperfections that gave them character. Viewing the image thus allows the viewer to enter this memory and explore the solitude and dreaminess of this scene.
The monotype and inkjet printing of Pines at the Bend (2025) gives an illusion of organicity to the work and the unpredictable variation from these processes. This gives the work a very painterly feel as the lighting blurs into the image, creating an astounding composition of three tree silhouettes against the curved road. This gives the colour palette a slightly pastel feel with a touch of nostalgia. Hence, it makes the scene feel like a memory rather than a real place. The sky is pale, and the road leaves the image, pushing the viewer to wonder what lies ahead of the road and imagine this. This gives the work an edge of mystery, and the wintery scene adds a haunting feel.
This scene and the composition encourage the viewer to contemplate and envelope the viewer in a calming, peaceful stillness and quietness. The memory and nostalgic features within this work also invite the viewer to reflect and remember similar places and landscapes, allowing their mind to fill in what’s ahead.
A path guides us towards a tree that sits alone within the landscape in The Lone Tree (2025). The path is quiet, and the tree is covered with ivy, giving the dead tree life while, despite being winter- the grass is slightly green. The path allows us to explore the image and this landscape, which feels dreich yet is also a familiar landscape pushing nostalgia onto the viewer’s mind. The grey skies set against the slightly barren landscape lock our eyes onto this tree- its position and strength imply that it is meditating and encourages us to do so on this path as well.
Overall, the three artworks bring us towards a nostalgic memory of the countryside during the dreich wintery days and allow the viewer to imagine what is beyond the image. The works have become weathered and imperfect, adding to this ‘snapshot’ idea that they can be interpreted as memories; through using imperfection- it creates beauty in being irregular and unpredictable. The result of these imperfections creates a soft work that seems like a painting, despite not being one, yet also feeling like an old photograph. These imperfections allow us to put our imaginations of these places forward and put ourselves into the image.