Nothing lasts forever

Right now it seems that there is little we can be sure of.

This morning we returned to a beautiful spot where, just a few weeks ago, I had painted a magnificent copper beech tree. It was gone, evidently cut down in the last few days. I hope there was a good reason. I’m sure there had to be, but it saddened me more than perhaps it should have.

MG painting, Wethersfield Gardens, June 9th, 2020, PHOTO - Mark Powell
MG painting, Wethersfield Gardens, June 9th, 2020, PHOTO – Mark Powell
Standing where the copper beech tree once was, July 12th, 2020. PHOTO - Mark Powell
Standing where the copper beech tree once was, July 12th, 2020. PHOTO – Mark Powell

Now the painting seems particularly poignant – a memorial of sorts, and the details I hope express my deeply-felt admiration for its beauty.

Copper Beech, Wethersfield Gardens, 9:30am, June 9th, 2020
Copper Beech, Wethersfield Gardens, 9:30am, June 9th, 2020
Detail - Copper Beech, Wethersfield Gardens, 9:30am, June 9th, 2020
Detail – Copper Beech, Wethersfield Gardens, 9:30am, June 9th, 2020
Detail - Copper Beech, Wethersfield Gardens, 9:30am, June 9th, 2020
Detail – Copper Beech, Wethersfield Gardens, 9:30am, June 9th, 2020
Detail - Copper Beech, Wethersfield Gardens, 9:30am, June 9th, 2020
Detail – Copper Beech, Wethersfield Gardens, 9:30am, June 9th, 2020
Detail - Copper Beech, Wethersfield Gardens, 9:30am, June 9th, 2020
Detail – Copper Beech, Wethersfield Gardens, 9:30am, June 9th, 2020
Detail - Copper Beech, Wethersfield Gardens, 9:30am, June 9th, 2020
Detail – Copper Beech, Wethersfield Gardens, 9:30am, June 9th, 2020
Detail - Copper Beech, Wethersfield Gardens, 9:30am, June 9th, 2020
Detail – Copper Beech, Wethersfield Gardens, 9:30am, June 9th, 2020
Detail - Copper Beech, Wethersfield Gardens, 9:30am, June 9th, 2020
Detail – Copper Beech, Wethersfield Gardens, 9:30am, June 9th, 2020

 

 

4 Comments

  1. Poignant, Michael. But you have secured a different permanence for the tree and the site..

      1. We have a beautiful European beach that we planted as a young tree many years ago. I look at it every day when I’m in the country and worry about it’s safety since I know that if anything were to happen to it, a piece of me would die with it. After reading Colin’s comment, it occurred to me that you better come and play paint my tree!

Please let me know what you think!