In my practice I am exploring beauty in the sombre through tree portraiture. Themes of mortality, fluidity, the strange and gothic imagery are recurrent. The artist’s psyche and its evocations are important to me. I paint tree roots onto black wood panels using glue mixed with acrylic or, recently, wax cakes. I work from A3 print-outs of the striking organic forms which I photograph when walking in parks in London. The glue/acrylic mix is dripped onto the A1 wood panel using a paster, whilst the molten wax is applied using a spoon, enlarging the image; there is a transition from the 2D photo to the 3D panel. I enjoy the physicality of working at a larger scale, standing, which lends to more gestural work. I experiment with fluid-solid materials which sit on the surface. I use wood as it derives from trees; the pattern of the grain can often be seen through the black acrylic. In a time where there is a growing concern towards the eco crisis I feel my works are pertinent reminders of what is worth protecting. I am considering sustainability in my Practice, using paper made from recycled cups, charcoal, and wax cakes, which are more eco-friendly alternatives to plastic-based PVA and Acrylic paint. The majority of my research is experiential through being in Nature and recording my experiences in photography and film. The use of black backgrounds represents nihilism, contrasting with the fluorescent green forms of dead tree roots, reflecting a sense of escapism and vivid experience in Nature. Since researching landscape in traditional and contemporary paintings, I believe I am making contemporary landscapes. However, with the absence of greenery in the background perhaps I am heading towards the post-landscape and into pure abstraction, where evocations of the psyche override.