Painting of the Month- July 2021

My painting of the month for July is a return to my Tree Worshipping Series and the birch tree. The birch tree is my favourite tree and was my first muse in the wonderful medium of encaustic many years ago. Referred to as the "Lady of the Woods" by poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the birch tree is almost always one of the first species to regrow in places of tragedy, after a forest fire for example. It can thrive in even the harshest conditions of low-nutrient soils or cold climates. It’s also one of the first trees to regrow leaves after the depths of winter bringing us into the new life of spring. It’s a sacred tree within the mythology of the Celts and is thought to have very protective influences, along with being a symbol for new beginnings. On Midsummer's Eve, branches from the tree would be hung around doors of dwellings in hopes to bring good luck and guard against any evil or misfortune. To bring in the new year with goodness, evil spirits were brushed from homes using a broom made from the twigs of a birch tree.

As our world hits the reset button and we brush away the old and embrace the new, the birch tree seems a fitting symbol of renewal and rebirth for us all.

- Susan

This painting is available for purchase through myonline shopand available for viewing at my new studio and gallery spacewww.meltstudiogallery.com.