The Tree Chronicles: Friends, Foes, and Family Feuds

When I look at trees, I don’t see leaves; I see a world of potential, a world of stories that have not been told yet. In a great epic of the wood, each tree is a part of a tight-knit community with complex relationships and individual personalities. Painting trees is not just about the form, it is about expressing the emotional aspect and the connection that is inherent in the bark of the trees. For instance, you can think of trees that have been planted in such a manner that their branches are as close as those of brothers. The branches are intertwined; this is a sign of a union that was formed in the early days when life was introduced into them. The limbs of the trees have lived through many storms and the intertwined branches are the language of kin and common heritage, every curve and bend telling the story of friendship of a life.

And then, of course, there are those trees which are enveloped by branches and root systems in an almost claustrophobic manner. It looks like the closeness between them has accumulated through the years of living together. Some of these trees have grown up as individuals and have, over time, parted and joined, their branches meandering towards one another in a courteous exchange of friendship. It is not just a physical connection of the branches but a connection of the spirit that cannot be seen from the outside.

However, not all tree interactions are positive. There are trees that are hostile to each other and their hostility can be seen in the bark of the trees. Maybe, rivalry for sunlight has led to hatred or the struggle for space on the limited sunlight that is available in the undergrowth of the forest. In any case, their bitter struggle has brought about their change, each tree struggling with its counterpart in a battle of wills and robustness. The quiet struggle is evident in their twisted branches and gnarled trunks, which speak of a long struggle of competition and hostility.

Then, you can look at the tree with the wound that it received as a young plant, when a thoughtless angler trod on it. That tree, twisted and warped, is a picture of tenacity and individuality. The twisted shape of the tree, which is quite different from that of its neighbors, is a symbol of its survival and success in an adverse environment. The footprint of the angler has been a source of pain to the tree in its childhood and has given the tree a particular identity, which is the footprint of the tree’s journey and its experiences. These trees’ lives are no less eventful and multifaceted than those of people. There are trees that grow in a close-knit society, with branches interconnected to form a ring of protection and support.

There are trees that stand alone, as if a single presence, a symbol of the independent and lively entity. There is a existence for each tree, which is developed according to the relation with the tree’s environment and other trees. That is why, when I paint trees, I not only paint the trees, but I paint the inner world of the trees as well.

I do not merely reproduce their exterior, I represent the richness of their stories, the density of their relationships, and the beauty of their individuality. In every stroke, I attempt to make them real and to give a voice to the stories that the trees cannot tell on their own. I hope that by doing this, observers will be able to see the magical life of the woods where every tree is a character, and every character is worth telling. In the end, painting trees is not just an act of painting, it is a tribute to the narrative of nature. It is a call to go beyond the surface, to discover the magical existence that is hidden beneath the bark where the trees are not just trees, but living entities with their own stories, their friendships, their fights, their struggles, and their growth.