Jade Birch I

This piece is created by placing real leaves from my garden onto a flexible printing plate. The process involves building up layers of ink on the plate and on the leaves themselves.  A single print is then taken by pressing a piece of card on top.  This monoprint technique is a special printmaking method where the image can only be made once, unlike most other printmaking which allows for multiple originals.

The Silver Birch is treasured for its silver-white bark and dainty, pointed leaves on elegant weeping branches. This tree may look delicate but it can thrive in harsh conditions with low nutrients and actually has a strong, willfulness to grow where nothing else can.

This tree is also strong enough to withstand extreme temperatures. It is one of the first trees to regrow leaves after the depths of winter. In fact, after the Ice age, the birch was one of the first species to regrow.  The resilience of this tree has also been demonstrated by its ability to regenerate after devastating forest fires.

One of the most sacred trees in Celtic Mythology, the Silver Birth symbolises new beginnings, purity and protection. The Silver Birch tree holds strong connections with feminine energies and in Celtic Lore is known as ‘The Lady of the Woods’. From ancient times, the sacred Silver Birch was associated with the Celtic goddess Brigid.

The Celts chose this tree to build May poles and start the fires to celebrate Beltane, the festival of new beginnings. They danced around the maypole of Birch to ensure healthy and abundant crops. On May day, branches would be decorated with red and white rags then propped against stable doors to ward off evil.  On Midsummer’s Eve, boughs of Silver Birch were hung over doors to guard and bring good luck.

“Lone and tall, with silver stem,

A birch-tree stands apart;

The passionate wind of spring-time

Stirs in its leafy heart.”

-Emily Dickinson