The Bruny Tree

As soon as I saw this tree on Bruny Island, Tasmania, I knew I would try to capture its magnificence in an artwork. I came across it as I walked the Grass Point trail with my family and its twisted bark mesmerised me. The track runs along the Island’s east-coast, Nuenonne country, and this tree seemed like an ancient inhabitant too – it’s bark corkscrewed from perhaps centuries of unforgiving coastal winds. It is stoic, resilient, defiant. I drew it in fine-liner pen, often stippling to capture the movement and drama of the scene. The Bruny Tree reminds us that we can adapt and that beauty and strength can emerge from adversity.