Lobaria

‘Lobaria’ was selected for the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair 2025, and saw me selected from 500+ exhibitors as one of seven artists in the exclusive 'Ones to Watch' category. 'Lobaria' subsequently sold at the fair.

'Lobaria' was inspired by my recent tour around the Bovey Valley Woods, courtesy of the Woodland Trust @LucyHares @tom.r.williams & @🙏🏽🌳

This is my most ambitious mixed media print yet, and while gelliplates still predominate, there is a large element of drawing and experimentation with areas of sculpted + sanded filler. I've masked meticulously around the 'Lobaria' and white areas of bark and then printed multiple layers of metallic colours and gloss medium, which is rather elastic in nature. Once the masking is lifted off, these areas of acrylic lift at the edges and mimic the curls of the lichens.

The title of this piece refers to the Latin name of some of our more leafy Tree Lungworts, which thrive only in our oceanic/hyper oceanic and ancient, temperate rainforests, and are very sensitive to pollution. These can be seen in abundance in the wetter areas of Bovey Valley Woods, especially in lower situations on trees near the river. I have rendered some smaller Lobaria-like lichens here, along with larger beard lichens.

Temperate rainforest makes up only 1% of our landscape and is globally unique in terms of the endemic species within them. This percentage could easily reach 10% across our western areas & provide massive buffers against climate change through moisture retention and carbon capture.

The Woodland Trust now has many projects in place to manage & expand these habitats. This includes removing invasive Rhododendron and Sitka Spruce, including the management/reduction of conifer plantations remaining from the 1960s, and reducing the surrounding grazing.