Sheltering Crown — Original Ink Drawing on Hand-Cast Cement Tiles

An original ink drawing of a broad-canopied tree found in Clissold Park, London, drawn across twenty-four hand-cast cement tiles.

I drew this tree on location in Clissold Park while living in Stoke Newington.

What caught my attention was the crown.

The trunk bends slightly before opening into a wide canopy that seems to stretch out horizontally, creating its own small shelter beneath it.

There is something reassuring about trees shaped like this. They appear to make a space around themselves. Somewhere to stand, sit or disappear beneath for a while.

I drew the tree in black archival pigment ink before taking the image across twenty-four individual hand-cast cement tiles.

The arrangement of the tiles follows the shape of the tree rather than forcing it into a conventional square or rectangle. The canopy spreads across the upper tiles while the trunk drops through the centre of the work.

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

The changing greys and off-whites of the cement break the canopy into sections. Lines disappear at the edge of one tile and continue across another, while the natural marks and variations in the cement become part of the drawing.

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

Details:

• Original ink drawing across twenty-four hand-cast cement tiles
• Tree drawn at Clissold Park, Stoke Newington, London
• Archival black pigment ink
• Twenty-four tiles, each approximately 10 × 10cm
• Overall dimensions approximately 84cm wide × 54cm tall
• Individually poured cement tiles — no two are identical
• Signed on the reverse with certificate of authenticity
• One-of-a-kind original artwork
• Ready to hang
• Ships from the UK

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