A perfect match with Treelove

If you’ve been following my work for a while then you already know that the natural world is my biggest inspiration. Born and raised in The High Weald, where I live to this day, the landscape is a huge influence on my work. Not only do I use the natural materials that surround me as tools, materials and inspiration, I also draw on the character of the place where I live and work.

From the stunning Sussex landscape to the unique knots, patterns and grain in a piece of reclaimed wood, each piece I create is rooted in the world around us.

For many years I have been growing interested in the idea of a circular economy and how we can get to Net Zero. In nature everything is a cycle, nothing is wasted and nothing is lost. A tree draws nutrients from the soil, grows, dies and returns to the soil ready to nourish another tree. As humans we tend not to think that way, we take what we need and then discard whatever we have left. Surely there must be a better way? A way that has a positive impact on the environment?

I believe I have found that way.

Just before Christmas 2020 I received an order, via Etsy, for 50 of my small tree sculptures. That’s a lot of little trees! You can imagine how intrigued I was, especially when I got an order for even more in January. I simply had to find out who was buying so many sculptures, and what they wanted them for. A few questions later, I discovered that my new client was a company called Treelove. At that moment a new collaboration was born.

I love to take unwanted objects, reclaim the wood and repurpose it into something new. I capture a unique moment in nature, let the wood’s form lead the design and give the reclaimed materials a second life. Treelove takes this a step further, they sell beautiful wooden gifts and for every purchase they plant at least one indigeous tree in the Amazon’s Araguaia Biodiversity corridor.

This means that when you buy one of my sculptures from Treelove, you are helping to restore the ecosystem of the Amazon Rainforest. Not only that, you are buying a beautiful object made from materials that were once destined to be thrown away. As Treelove says, we are all consumers. Nothing brings us more joy than to give a carefully selected gift to someone we love. Wouldn’t it mean so much more if those gifts also helped the planet in a very real way?

When I was 40 I took a sabbatical from corporate life. I spent 2 months travelling but this was so much more than a holiday. It was an opportunity to step back and really look at my life. This was when I realised that the hours I spent as a child, watching my Grandfather (a model maker) and Grandmother (a watercolour artist), had ignited a passion in me as well. For years I had turned to woodworking as a hobby, making toys for my children among other things. This was my chance to turn that hobby into a business and become a full time artist.

In much the same way, many people are taking a step back and re-evaluating the way they live, especially the impact they have on the world around them. From the way they choose to carry their shopping to the electricity provider they use or where they go on holiday, people are starting to realise that what they do makes a difference. Not only that, they are realising that this is the time to act. This is our chance to change the world and build a better future.

Treelove aims to make that easy. They believe that climate change is the biggest threat we will face in the next fifty years, a very real danger that simply cannot be ignored. But it’s not too late! We can all act now to make a difference.

When you buy something from Treelove you are buying more than just a beautiful item. More even than the trees that will be planted in your name. Everytime you wear that necklace, use that paperweight or look at that sculpture, you will be reminded of the contribution you have made. The living rainforest that exists because of you. This is true sustainability.

If you would like to be part of a movement towards a better world then take a look at some of my favourite pieces on the Treelove website