Pencil Pine - Original

‘Pencil Pine’ is from Melissa’s 2023 art residency in Lutruwita-Tasmania, Australia where she studied the ancient trees and rare endemic Gondwanan species. This piece was awarded 3rd prize in the Pastel Category at the Artists Society of Canberra Annual Spring Exhibition. You may read her artist statement below:

To me, this is what survival looks like – the hanging on for dear life, the starting over, adapting against the harsh elements and most importantly, never giving up. This is an exposed root system of a very rare Gondwanan species of tree called the Pencil Pine. They exist only in Tasmania’s sub-alpine areas and often located around water because of its intolerance to extreme heat and fires. With its 1,000 years of growth and twisted limbs, I can’t help but wonder what this tree has seen, endured and survived.