Fox Amongst The Birches

Description

By Marc Alexander from his ‘The Secret Forest’ exhibition. ‘Forest Stream I’, oil and silver leaf on canvas, 30cm by 30cm, (2016).

Fox Amongst The Birches

Few trees are more spectacular in winter than Birches. The Fox Valley River Birch which grows in The Secret Forest is particularly beautiful. Tall, slender and elegant, they have a very attractive peeling bark, stark white, pale salmon and reddish brown at first, exfolioating to reveal a lighter inner bark. These vigorous and fast growing trees are impervious to cold or wet weather and Deer resistant. With Autumn comes glorious golden shades in their foilage before the leaves sheds to the ground.

The intelligence and cunning red fox lives close to Birch grove. He is a solitary hunters who mainly feeds on rodents, rabbits, birds, and other small creatures—but his diet is flexible as he is also known to eat fruit and vegetables, fish, frogs, and even worms. Like a cat, his thick tail aids in balance, but it has other uses as well. A fox uses its tail (or “brush”) as a warm cover in cold weather and as a signal flag to communicate with other foxes. Foxes also signal each other by making scent posts—urinating on trees or rocks to announce their presence.

The Secret Forest

I have always been interested in forestry, particularly its aspects of conservation and regeneration. The inspiration for this body of work stems from my love and gratitude toward God for His marvellous creation. I hope to share this appreciation with friends, family and my supporters, specifically drawing attention to the need to protect and care for our forest’s rich biodiversity and fragile ecosystems.

The Secret Forest is a paradise of my imaginings, an ideal and wondrous world, alive with many fascinating life forms. I often get lost in its wooded beauty, trailing shadowy pathways and streams, searching every nook and cranny amongst tangled root systems and moss-covered rocks just so that I can feast my eyes on its hidden treasures. This is a place where the feral imagination could easily envisage the likes of, elves and tree Ents. A place entirely unspoiled by mankind and the age of machines.

Archival Prints

Many of Marc’s artworks are available as fine art digital prints. Professionally photographed and printed on large format inkjet printers, these prints are limited edition numbered bottom left and signed bottom right. The paper used is 320g Hahnemuhle archival watercolour paper or Van Gogh cotton canvas. The process employs fade resistant, archival inks, which boast a 100+ year fade-proof guarantee.

These prints are also available in varying sizes. The paper prints are sold plastic wrapped on an acid-free foamcore backing board. The prints on canvas can be provided stretched or rolled in a core for easy transporting. The canvas print is treated with a high quality scratch resistant matt art-sealant. Directly behind the stretched canvas print is a fixed board which gives the frame rigidity, prevents warping and ensures the frame hangs flush against the wall. Large frames are cross braced to further prevent warping.