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 Jarnie’s own connection with these small, humble looking seeds. A small daily mantra, it has seen her through many times of adversity, and reminds Jarnie 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 Jarnie’s routine. On these walks she started to mentally map where the oak trees stood. Remembering also 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, Jarnie began to collect the acorns from the old oak trees to paint.

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