ITALIAN ALDER ALONG THE RIVERBANK

Entrée n°99

The paintings I created this week come from a stretch of the River Avon that I pass almost daily — not the most picturesque spot, but one that has quietly become familiar. The bridge linking Widcombe into Bath crosses just above it, and I often find myself there — sometimes walking, sometimes paused in traffic — looking out at the Alder trees that line the bank.

When I slowed my pace and really observed them, I realised there are three distinct varieties growing in this small stretch, Common (Black) Alder, Red Alder and Italian Alder. Whether they were intentionally planted for biodiversity or simply self-seeded (their irregular spacing makes me suspect the latter), they coexist beautifully along the water’s edge. Alders are natural river guardians. Their roots stabilise banks against erosion, thriving in wet ground where others struggle, they naturally trace the edges of rivers and floodplains.

I like to let nature teach me through observation. In this case, it was the subtleties that revealed themselves, the varying sizes of catkins and cones, the density of growth, and the orientation of branches — all of which shaped the composition of each work.

The Red Alder, from which I was able to take a younger cutting, was smaller in stature. Its branches hung more delicately, and the structure felt sparer and lighter. In contrast, the Common Alder was more established, its branches criss-crossing in multiple directions, creating a denser, more intricate framework that I wanted to honour in paint. One detail I was particularly drawn to was the length of the catkins on the Italian Alder, which were almost three times longer than those on the other two trees. Emphasising this became central to its composition.

Each painting, while rooted in the same stretch of riverbank, carries the distinct character of the individual tree it represents.