98. Forest King

Artwork number: 98
Artist: Lesley Meaney
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Description: Some trees show the scars of a challenging life, others speak of an untested existence. Close encounters with either reveal a rich kaleidoscopic visual feast. This tree, seen in the early evening, after rain, did just that.
Artist statement: Wherever I am in Australia I will go for a walk. Not just for the exercise but to become familiar with the area's trees. Portraying trees, especially Eucalypts, has been the main thrust of my 60-year art practice. More than two-thirds of Australia's vegetation are Eucalypti, and despite there being over 700 species, no two are the same. Each tree claims a presence, it seems. Some show the scars of a challenging life, while others, which have never had to fight for their share of sun and rain, speak of an untested existence. However, close encounters with either reveal a rich kaleidoscopic visual feast in colour, pattern and line. This tree, seen in the early evening and just after rain, did just that.