As a Tree (Transmogrification I) 2013
oil on canvas, 40x80cm

This painting was started in February 2010, and was reworked this year. It seeks to portray the idea that while roots may constrain us, they also support us. As the tree grows, its branches reach for the stars and sometimes attain new and joyful skies.

February 2010 marked the end of my first year of grief, and this painting was part of my reconstruction process. But while I wanted colours, the light between the branches stayed rather dull. The painting was not exhibited in a gallery, but stayed on my wall. This year I decided to rework it, and the image above is the result (coincidentally, as I discovered when I went back to my 2010 sketchbooks, I started reworking on the same date as I had started it).

The image below shows the painting as it was for the first 3 years. I had intended to rework only the colours between the branches, but as you can see, I also reworked the background and the figure.

As A Tree, 2010