STORY BEHIND THE ART OF ROSALIND ALLCHIN

16th Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists at the Horticultural Society of New York

Birch Bark

Betula papyrifea

Hiking in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, hoping for a sight of moose, I was rewarded instead, and tenfold, with the discovery of this wonderful birch tree.

My love of bark was initially sparked by a stay in western Australia where the trees were so exotically different and demanding of attention. Long before I started painting, tree bark had become something of an obsession and a major focus for my photography.

This tree was utterly compelling. It revealed itself like a stripper in slow motion. From the rough exterior mosaic of shedding spirals to the creamy softness of younger layers and the enticing glimpse of rusty pink undersides, it was a jewel I was immensely lucky to have found.

I am a relative newcomer to the world of botanical painting and am experimenting with a wide variety of subjects. However I have an expanding list of interesting bark subjects in my local area, queueing up to be painted.

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