Silver Birch

Acrylic on deep edged box canvas with copper leaf and silver schlag metal leaf.

Silver Birch was produced as part of a series of paintings on the theme of 'trees of the pagan calendar for Red Hen's Brighton May Festival exhibition 'Yew & Others' 2006. The silver birch tree, known as 'lady of the woods' is the tree for the 1st moon of the year which falls around Christmas time until about 17th January.  Witches brooms were traditionally made of birch twigs and it's an old custom at this time of year for bundles of birch twigs to be used to 'brush out' the spirits of the old year to make way for the new.