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A Tree for All Seasons

A Tree for All Seasons

Regular price £40.00
Regular price Sale price £40.00
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Original/print/digital

'A Tree for All Seasons' is painting of an oak tree shown above and below ground featuring weather, nature, history and magic.

  • Signed prints size A2
  • A digital file of this painting is available for you to print at a format and size of your choice

A Tree for All Seasons is a watercolour commissioned by Laura for her mother Suzanne. The brief was simple - a painting of a tree shown both above and below ground. Laura included a list of things she'd like to see in the painting: raven, magpie, seasons, celtic symbol, wildlife - including the little things, red squirrel, hibernation, fossils. I was given completely free-rein to imagine how this lot might go together which is how I like it. I updated Laura with frequent photos as I painted.

The tree I have imagined is an oak. But the idea of a tree shown above and below ground reminded me of Yggdrasil, the sacred ash tree of Norse mythology. So I thought that as well as the weather to show the seasons, I'd add a bit of history, too.

Below ground, in the rock layer I've illustrated an ichthyosaur fossil and two ammonites. There's an aquifer into which the tree for all seasons dips its roots. A fox lies sleeping and a mole digs its way towards a juicy worm. The triple spiral - the triscal - is an ancient motif. It's often found carved into rocks dating from the Neolithic period. The spirals echo the ammonites and the sleepy snail overwintering beneath root on the left, as well as the wheeling stars in the sky.

I've imagined the tree trunk as a celtic knot with its ends reaching up into the branches. The fallow deer is a direct reference from William Morris's wallpaper design "The Brook". Up in the branches is Mr Blackbird is feeding his chicks. There's a scarlet tiger moth, a purple emperor butterfly, a ladybird and a red squirrel. And at the very top of the tree for all seasons is Mrs Magpie who has a gold disc in her beak.

Shipping and delivery

This website takes orders from UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Denmark, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

If you are not in these countries and you would like to make a purchase, please get in touch with me directly.

Posting your order

Typically, orders for physical products placed after 12pm on Friday, and on Saturday or Sunday will not be posted until Monday at the earliest. I use Royal Mail to dispatch your order.

If you have ordered multiple items, I will try to post everything together. Occasionally, this is not possible, in which case they will be dispatched in separate packages.

Digital files will typically be transferred to customers within 24 hours via email using WeTransfer, the file transfer website.

Buying an original painting? Please choose the tracked option!

UNITED KINGDOM (incl. Channel Islands, Isle of Man)

  • UK Royal Mail second class – 3 to 5 working days (can be longer at busy times of year)
  • UK Royal Mail tracked next day special delivery – next day by 1pm

If you choose a tracked delivery, I will be notified with your Royal Mail tracking number when your parcel has been dispatched.

INTERNATIONAL ORDERS

IMPORTANT! All international orders are shipped duties unpaid. Orders shipped outside of the UK may be subject to customs, taxes and duties. This cost is the responsibility of the customer and is payable on receipt of goods. Please check your local customs tax and duty costs as duties must be paid before the goods are released.

USA and CANADA
Royal Mail International Tracked service (7-14 days)

AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND
Royal Mail International Tracked service (7-14 days)

EUROPE (Rep of Ireland, France, Germany and Denmark only)
Royal Mail International Tracked service (7-14 days)

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