The Handkerchief Tree, Hillston: Gardens: Fragments of Life and Loss

This painting aims to restrict the viewer accessing the background view and accentuates the sense of depth and verticality in the foreground area through the positioning of the two trees. These two central objects dominate the composition but are held in place by the shifting horizontal patterns created by the shadows. This acts as a form of semi-abstraction with the aim of partially disrupting the picture. This work also documents the change that has taken place in the garden through the depiction of the space left by the loss of a heritage tree.

Fragments: Life and Loss is an artistic enquiry that systematically explores themes of memory, impermanence, and transformation through the motif of the garden. Drawing upon visual language and observational practices, the body of work investigates how natural environments serve as metaphors for human experience, particularly in relation to loss and regeneration. The paintings communicate knowledge by documenting and interpreting the cyclical processes of change and adaptation in nature, offering insights into how landscapes reflect emotional and cultural memory. This body of work contributes to interdisciplinary dialogues between art, ecology, and the human condition through a methodical engagement with site, material, and temporality.