At Forest Gallery we have a wide range of forest paintings for sale by the artists featured above as well as others such as Gunther Fruhmesser and Stephen Hawkins. If you have a particular piece in mind why not enquire about a commission? With decades of experience in selecting the finest paintings from around the world, Forest Gallery is the perfect place to find your next forest painting.
Forest Art
For millennia forests have provided shelter, food and fuel for animals and humans alike. In fact, many of the key settlements of Britain were founded based on their proximity to, and presence of, the natural resource wood. It is not surprising therefore that artists have created forest art for centuries, drawing from the memories and experiences shared within these important ecosystems. From Vincent Van Gogh and Gustav Klimt to modern day painters such as David Hockney, forest art continues to serve as a subject in its own right.
Below we take a look at how some of our most successful artists here at Forest Gallery portray these important ecosystems.
Michael James Smith
Photorealist artist, Michael James Smith, paints forests as both an important backdrop to his detailed landscapes and as a key feature of them. Heralded as “Britain’s next top artist” by Artists & Illustratos, Michael’s detailed paintings are an exquisite representation of the British countryside, of which trees and woodlands are so often a prominent feature. By applying a layering technique, the artist carefully builds up a realistic portrayal of the many tones and intricate structures of trees.
Light in a painting is one of the most important elements for creating a sense of atmosphere. Whether artists choose to paint plein air, via photographic reference or via studio light, a light source is crucial to establish the highlights, shadows and tones within. Trees are a vital component in splitting, reflecting and capturing light as it is scattered through the atmosphere and illuminates the landscape, and these effects are painted beautifully by David Dipnall.
Mark Payne
The brilliantly talented artist, Mark Payne, produces realistic large-scale paintings using a variation of the early painting technique known as ‘Grisaille’. By painting sequential transparent layers of paint onto an opaque underpainting, Mark’s paintings give the illusion of being backlit. This creates a beautiful drama and liveliness to the art. Combine this with the detail and finesse applied to his large tree and forest paintings and the result is breathtaking.
What Forest Paintings Represent
My abstract forest paintings reflect a creative magical expression of land dominated by trees. Trees are the focal point of my paintings, mainly represented by their trunks, branches, and leaves, or by their tree tops. I use a palette knife to create texture and depth in my artwork, giving each piece a unique character and charm. The result is a stunning, abstract representation of the forest that captures the imagination and inspires.
Decorating homes and empty walls with trees paintings is a great way to bring nature into closed spaces. My artworks add to the atmosphere and ambiance of rooms, creating a sense of serenity and peace. The beauty of trees is that they have a calming effect on the mind and body, and my paintings reflect this quality.
My forests and trees paintings are a tribute to the majesty and mystery of the forest and the role it plays in our lives. The forest is a source of inspiration and healing, and my paintings capture this essence in a way that is both breathtaking and inspiring.
When I think of great artists who have depicted the forest, I am always reminded of Gustav Klimt’s “Birch Forest”. This painting is a masterpiece of tranquility and serenity, as the trees reach up to the sky like towers. The colors of the leaves naturally tend towards the golden tones, which are Klimt’s favored hues. The painting is an inspiration to me, and I strive to capture the same sense of calm and beauty in my own artwork.
In conclusion, as an abstract artist, I aim to create contemporary forest paintings that capture the magic and wonder of the natural world. By using vibrant colors, palette knife, and my artistic expression, I create magnificent abstract trees paintings of all kinds. Decorating homes and empty walls with trees paintings is a great way to bring nature into closed spaces and create a sense of serenity and peace. My abstract forest paintings are a creative magical expression of land dominated by trees, and they reflect the beauty and majesty of the forest in a way that is inspiring.
Deep in the Wood — Trees as Art
Published in
12 min read
Mar 28, 2021
T here’s a difference between making art out of a tree and making art with a tree. Wood has been used as a material in art since prehistoric times. It’s commonly used as a sculptural material and of course, is the basis for most paper, which is about the most common art material, very often used in conjunction with a wooden pencil, or charcoal!
A tree already fulfills many of the criteria art critics use to formally analyse sculpture. Imagine a tree in your mind’s eye or, better still, if there’s a tree in sight, take a look at it. Is the tree three-dimensional? Does it have a visual rhythm in its pattern that exploits the interplay between positive and negative form? Is there a progression or tension between symmetry and asymmetry? Does it reference landscape and/or the human form?
In most cases, an unaltered tree can tick all the boxes and an average tree placed next to an average sculpture will be aesthetically superior. Really, the only thing preventing a tree from being classed as ‘art’ is the earliest and enduring definition of art as, “a thing of beauty that was of human, as opposed to natural, origin…”
The ancient sacred groves of the Druids are perhaps the earliest surviving examples of trees planted with intent to imbue a meta-physical significance that extended beyond the practical. Of course those groves were eventually assigned more pragmatic purposes: the Oaks gave their timber for shipbuilding and the Yews their boughs for longbows.
Many other cultures around the world have adopted natural trees as shrines. The tradition of tying coloured ribbons to their branches dates back to pagan times, but persists in many religions today. The Bodhi prayer trees represent the sacred fig that the Buddha was sitting beneath when he achieved enlightenment. Some of the indigenous peoples of the Americas tie ritually prepared cloths to trees in their sacred places. Across eastern Europe there are some ancient trees concentrated to Catholic saints. The tradition of decorating a Christmas Tree has become a secular tradition that allows anyone a creative outlet every Yuletide!
