Two pictures, Ilex Aquifolium and Fagus II, from the Tree Portraits series, a collaborative project between Emma Buckmaster and Janet French have been selected for The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2016.
Ilex Aquifolium
This year there is a special emphasis on artists who work together. The BBC have been filming Janet and Emma’s journey through the selection process for their programme, The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, which was broadcast on BBC2 on Saturday 11th June.
Fagus II
Tree Portraits are a series of etchings of native tree species printed on to paper made from the trees own leaves. The leaves of each tree behave differently and the process is one of continuous experimentation. The leaves are collected and after a prolonged process of soaking and boiling, delicate sheets of paper are created using only the natural constituents of the leaves to bind them together. Whilst the paper is still damp the etched image is printed onto the leaves from a steel plate using a traditional etching press.
Janet and Emma met at The Gainsborough’s House Print Workshop and have been working together on this project for the last five years. More information on the Tree Portraits can be found on Janet and Emma’s websites:
www.janetfrench.co.uk
www.emmabuckmaster.com
The RA Summer Exhibition runs from 13th June – 21st August 2016.
The Royal Academy
Burlington House
Piccadilly
London W1J 0BD
www.royalacademy.org.uk
Artworks 