In this drawing entitled “James VI & I Oak of Meadows Midst” we see the trunk of this magnificent 1612 tree, resplendent with its own fallen branches about its trunk.

Spiritual, biological, botanical and conservational themes can be found through my chosen composition.

Glimpses of the Van Gogh style can be seen in these fallen branches, along with the wistful Picasso-like ‘branch eye and mouth‘ to the upper-right of my sketch-drawing. There is an ‘M’ face to be seen in the lightly drawn knarl of the tree, upper mid-page.

If you then view the ‘M’ face as a nose, you can envisage two large eyes either side, looking directly to our left. Interestingly, this focal point is actually where ‘The Inhabited Lights Engine’ photograph artwork is derived from. You can click the link here to view this earlier artwork Moonlight and the Lights Engine.

I would like to confirm categorically that the ‘face’ is entirely 100% chance. How extraordinary. This truly amazed me with quite some wonderment as to how I didn’t notice such an obvious face in my own artwork. A man in the moon occurrence. Or rather a centuries-aged tree revealing its own character with watchful purposeful poise.

The upright log props up the fallen post, mid-lower page. I should know, since I placed the log there for that very reason quite sometime ago.

Here is the photographic inspiration for my artwork:

I thought I would also include an unedited close-up photograph of the knarl for art viewers to see for themselves:

Hope you enjoy.