Among the Trees

A walk in the woods + some drawing too

I love being among the trees. I didn’t realise how much I did until we moved out of the city, and now most days I walk among wild unruly oak trees, papery birches and tall, sky-scraper pines. I’m becoming a bit obsessed with them.

Trees are very much a starting point for this new project. Shaped by their environment, I find each tree’s unique form so fascinating. Huge, undulating branches giving way those that are twisting and spindly. Strong and sturdy trunks glossy with rain. Or, a tree by the side of the road whose branches diligently form a perfect archway for lorries & buses to pass.

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I could probably ramble on all day about how amazing trees are so I’ll stop there!
Last time I wrote, I came to the conclusion that I need to get out and draw from life, so this week that’s exactly what I did.

I took Jeffers down to the RSPB reserve at Loch Lomond, a 5 minute drive away from where we live. It’s the first walk we did when we moved here, and it’s remained a favourite. The trail takes you through some beautiful woodland (which has a stunning display of bluebells in late Spring), across a marsh, through more woods dotted with huge oak trees, and eventually down to the shores of Loch Lomond. The walk is always soundtracked by birdsong, and if you’re lucky you might see a deer or a red squirrel.

Sticking with basic graphite pencil to keep things simple, I drew some of the incredible trees near the water. A couple of the giant oak trees, and some of the taller spindly trees weathered by the shoreline. Their shapes are just so fascinating. I could probably have filled my entire sketchbook if I’d had more time and the weather was a little warmer!

When I draw from life I try to let myself just respond to what I’m seeing, instead of trying to copy down all the details or make an accurate drawing, sometimes not even looking at the paper. How is it making me feel? How do I translate this to the paper? For example, trying to draw a whole tangle of branches is overwhelming, and I want this to come across in the drawing.

I’m also constantly keeping the questions in the back of my mind about that idea of home and wildlife - what do these trees look like and mean to the animals that live among them? I need to master my tree-drawing a bit more before I start to investigate how I can flip the perspective and draw what a bird or a squirrel might see, and what stories they might tell. But for now, I’m enjoying the process; these drawings are still very much scratching the surface of what I want to explore.

So what’s next? More tree drawing! I want to get back out and do more drawing from life, and also start playing around more with materials, colour & textures. Writing here is definitely helping to keep up the momentum, and giving me a sense of purpose with this whole project, which is a very good thing!

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Over & out until next time. In the meantime, tell me in the comments - what’s your favourite tree?

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Thanks for reading notes from my desk! Just a wee reminder that paid subscriptions are coming in March! All posts are currently free, and this one is an example of what a paid post is likely to contain. At least one post per month will always be free.