Sandra Pearce: February 2019

The local council is widening a road near me. Road widening means the trees have to go to make way for bitumen, road infrastructure, and cars (including mine).

Natural habitats will always be at the mercy of human needs. But in this case, I felt very emotional about one particular tree. It was a beautiful eucalypt, tall and old, but healthy and resilient even though it was close to the road and a busy intersection. Then as they started the road works, I noted it was on the wrong side of the construction fencing. And that means its days were numbered. This made me very sad as I reflected on its fate. Then one day it was gone.

This event has inspired me to start working on a new series of monotypes. My idea is to do multiple mini prints using individual leaves, employing repetition as a form of meditation. Each leaf print will act as a metaphor for my desire to hold onto the memory of those trees, as if I'm trying not to forget them, and to remember the joy they gave me as I drove through that avenue of majestic gums.

I started working on these prints whilst on holidays at the coast. My print studio as always comes on holiday with me, this time I was able to set up my Xcut printer on the kitchen benchtop, so I had sea views as I worked. I also used my holiday time to ride my bicycle to local bushland to collect leaves to print with. I wanted to find ones that had character and would do justice to my idea.

I've ended up with a large selection of prints, I'm thinking that I will create a series of two or three artworks, loosely titled 'Memory of Trees' or 'Meditation on Trees'. Through my artwork I will remember those trees, in particular that tall majestic gum on the wrong side of the fence.