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!

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