The first furniture of the year was made at the weekend by a hardy lot of new makers. Braving snow and floods six folks made six beautiful stools. Well done Andrew, Craig, Donald, Clair, Val and Lucy ! Certificates on the way to you. Hopefully see you on another course soon.

Bound’ was first conceived for the ‘Explorations’ exhibition at the National Botanic Garden of Wales’ in 2003. The invitation to make a temporary site-responsive public art work for the gardens was offered to 11 international artists. It was a defining moment in my practice. To work outside for the first time, to reference and respond to the land. Issues of landownership, of acquisition and use, and points of reference all came to together and were informed by the need to make something powerful but sensitive, that drew attention to yet did not compete with nature.
The work linked to my interest in Japanese packaging and their aesthetic regarding wrapping and packaging. I had previously been interested in placing work outside of the gallery and to quote Christo was also ‘revealing through concealing’. Binding the tree in cloth I freed the form and could it offer back to the public to see anew. It followed a concern with unearthing qualities in the commonplace that were worthy of note and were mainly over looked.. Bound referred to the process of binding and swathing the trees in cloth, to the time and intention in making the work – and connecting to place and and also to boundaries.
 http://philippalawrence.com/projects/bound/

The Barbol Awards - Here is the best of 2012 that The big Tree Society and our pals came across in 2012. Many folks have sent these in, credits are a bit difficult, but we totally and respectfully acknowledge the artistic work and rights of these great photographers. We are also aware that many of you that land here on The Big Tree web site don't "do" social media stuff - we respect that too ! So just another reason to show you what's going on in the other side of the cybersphere. We have a great following here and on Facebook and really "like" the interaction we have with our readers and contributors. It's the world of trees, forests and wood that we are concerned with - that's kind of universal isn't it ?
We are going to start collating our fans tree images in one place soon. We are thinking about an online book that we can all contribute to. A testament to our awe and awareness of trees - to show others how much we respect, utilise, play amongst and just wonder at !!
If you are interested in coming along on the journey, please send an image, and a wee story about the woodland, forest or tree that you have photographed. We will think of the best way to put this together and let others see what we see !
This is not for any commecial gain, by us or others - we're sick of all that conspiracy, suspectful, environmental tree BS stuff. We're human doings here at Big Tree Society, not human beings !!!

These illustrations are just great ! Wish I could draw and paint to that detail. It just shows you the power of observation required to capture the plant. In many ways it's better than a digital photograph. Just another thing to learn more about before I retire !!

Botanical illustration of rowan tree. Original book source: Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz 1885, Gera, Germany. Permission granted to use under GFDL by Kurt Stueber

Who are the best contemporary plant / botanical illustrators out there today I wonder ?

Some of the tree images from Klaus Leidorf  book of flying photography. 

Some images from part of the Scottish chair collection at the Highland Folk Museum in Kingussie. Well worth a visit. That old Sutherland chair is a nice one ! (on the right in the third image !)