Acorns

The Acorns series of small original paintings formed from a time of intense restrictions. The proverb, ‘from little acorns, mighty oaks do grow’ first appeared in the 14th century in Geoffrey Chaucer's epic poem Troilus and Criseyde. This simple message forms my own connection with these small, humble looking seeds. A small daily mantra, it has seen me through many times of adversity, and reminds me to always strive for strength, growth, potential, and perseverance. 

During the Covid lockdown period we were encouraged to take exercise outside, and daily walks became an important part of my routine. On these walks I started to mentally map where the oak trees stood. Remembering that historically, people would carry an acorn in their pocket for good luck and to protect against illness. Although not something we generally do now, the symbolism for the time we were in made sense. As autumn approached, I began to collect the acorns to paint.

Enlarging the subjects, but keeping the paintings small, these were then acquired, and sent to collectors around the world. The acorns series has now become an annual ritual of limited edition commissions.