Description

The Lookout

By Marc Alexander from his ‘The Secret Forest’ exhibition. ‘The Lookout’, oil on board, 17cm by 17cm, (2014).

 

The Lookout

A tall decideous red oak that seasonally shed its leaves, usually in the autumn. Its winter now and the creatures of The Secret Forest are hibernating deep below the undergrowth, safely sheltered from the cold winter weather. Not so for a flutter of sparrows foraging about for tasty morsels. There is always a bird keeping watch from the top braches of the majestic red oak with its rough, furrowed bark. From the lookout, one can see for miles over the forest canopy.

Red oak acorns are a staple in the diet of our squirrels and deer, but the leaves and acorns are poisonous to most domestic livestock due to large amounts of tannic acid, the chemical humans have long used to tan leather. Sadly cattle, horses and sheep can develop a taste for oak leaves and acorns, actively seeking them out and ingesting enough to result in kidney failure and death. Domestic pigs, however, are immune to these effects and have traditionally been put to pasture in oak woodlands. When one thinks of pigs, one also thinks of truffles — a fungus that forms symbiotic relationships with oak and beech trees and can be found buried at the base of these trees.

 

The Secret Forest

Inspiration for this body of work stems from my love and gratitude toward God for His marvellous creation, which has enthused within me an interest in forestry, particularly its aspects of conservation and regeneration.

The Secret Forest is a paradise of my imaginings, wondrous and alive with many fascinating forms of life. I have often gotten lost in its wooded beauty, trailing shadowy pathways and streams, searching every nook and cranny amongst tangled root systems and mossy 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.

 

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