Lines Written Beneath An Elm in the Churchyard

Artist Statement

Lines Written Beneath An Elm in the Churchyard is an ongoing series currently consisting of four oil paintings, composed mainly of overlapping and interposing imagery, heavily inspired by the art of collage. Rooted in an introspection of the transient nature of life, this body of work is named after, and partly inspired by, George Gordon Byron’s poem entitled: “Lines Written Beneath An Elm in the Churchyard of Harrow On The Hill”.

In this poem, the narrator lies beneath a tree, reflecting on his life and the passage of time, with the elm tree acting as a metaphor for ephemerality. In line with the poem, Lines Written Beneath An Elm in the Churchyard utilises a semi-monochromatic palette to depict nature- using it as a central motif in its investigation of impermanence, memory, and mortality, along with the accompanying sensations. Ranging from elm leaves, flowers, trees and other plant matter, to the human body, abandoned buildings, religious and/or symbolic imagery, these depictions of nature, humanity, and decay come together to explore the way impermanence is central to the human experience

Dog Days of Summer, 2025. Oil on panel, 12 x 9 in.

Idle; Still Yielding, 2025. Oil on canvas, 18 x 24 in.

Moribund, 2025. Oil on canvas, 12 x 16 in.

Epitaph, 2025. Oil on canvas, 16 x 12 in.

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