Martin Clarkson, Ancient Oaks of Sherwood: No. 46, 2022, oil on panel, 30x20x3cm

Steeped in history and legend, Sherwood Forest NNR is a remnant of the old ways in which humans cohabited with nature, managing woodland and livestock through regenerative practices. Over time, our relationship with the forest has led to a dense population of ancient and veteran oaks, supporting a wide variety of biodiversity and a specialist habitat for nature. 

Trees are the longest living examples of a complex natural world. Just like the stratification of rock, or the blue memory of a glacier, a tree too wears the passage of time. Etched into their surface is a diary of existence, simultaneously living and dead as its form flows through growth and decay. 

The work is made ’En Plein Air’, considering an economy of mark whilst deploying the paint sculpturally to best describe the tree's architecture,  how its weight sits and shifts through time. Through experiential learning, moving through and surveying this environment I examine the vital features which are evident in our ancient wood; gnarled burrs, fresh epicormic shoots, red rot heartwood, corpse green lichens, moist mosses and fruiting fungi. Each painting investigates a tree as a living landscape in its own right.

Martin Clarkson, (1988) is a British artist living and working in Nottinghamshire, England. Clarkson studied fine art painting at Loughborough University. He has worked over last decade on various creative ventures; working as painting technician at Loughborough University, he studied at the Santa Catalina Art School in South Spain, curated and shown work in various exhibitions around the Nottingham art scene as well as hosting various talks and educational workshops as accompaniment to exhibits or as a visiting artist to schools or colleges. 

From 2024 to present, Clarkson has shifted his approach from working primarily within a studio context, to painting En Plein Air, focusing first hand on the natural worlds  of the British archipelago. After this shift in his practice, Clarkson was invited to show his ‘ Ancient Oaks of Sherwood ‘ series as a guest artist with The‘ Obejvak Project Space  in central Prague. More recently in the UK, he has been interviewed for The Ancient Tree Forum, as accompaniment to a commission made  by Sherwood Forest NNR, and has since continued to participate  in various group shows with focus on  the ‘Ancient Oaks of Sherwood’ series. Clarkson has worked in various private collections, including Australia, China,  Europe and the UK.