Ivy-Clad Oak — Original Ink Drawing on Hand-Cast Cement Tiles — Birtsmorton Court

An old oak tree, wrapped almost completely in ivy, standing in the grounds of Birtsmorton Court in the Malvern Hills.

I came across this tree while wandering through the grounds. From a distance, the ivy almost hides the trunk completely, climbing upwards before the oak’s bare branches break free above it.

There is something slightly odd about ivy-covered trees. The tree is still there, still growing, but another plant has slowly taken over its surface. Two things occupying the same space, one wrapped around the other.

I drew the tree in black archival pigment ink before breaking the image across sixteen individual hand-cast cement tiles.

The uneven greys and off-whites of the cement become part of the drawing. Branches disappear at the edge of one tile and continue across another. The surface changes beneath the ink and the tree is never allowed to sit neatly on a single piece of paper.

Each tile was individually poured, dried and arranged in my studio in Birmingham before the drawing was made across the complete surface.

The result is a one-of-a-kind original drawing and sculptural wall piece. There is only one.

Details:

• Original ink drawing on 16 hand-cast cement tiles
• Approximate overall dimensions: 26 × 48cm
• Tree drawn at Birtsmorton Court, Malvern Hills, Worcestershire
• Archival black pigment ink
• Individually poured cement tiles — no two are identical
• Signed by the artist on the reverse
• One-of-a-kind original artwork
• Ready to hang
• Ships from the UK

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