Hello <<First Name>>

With two big events in the last two weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with lots of new people, so welcome if this is your first newsletter from me.

I've been doing a lot of talking lately, to people in the studio and out among the trees...

A view into my studio

It looks very ordered here and in truth it's never chaotic. I like to have a fair idea of where to find things even when I'm deep in the making process - when an idea comes, searching slows me down. Tools especially have to be in the right place, as I hate wasting studio time hunting for them.

What you see here however, is the curated version of the studio which I presented during the recent Forth Bridges Creative Trail weekend.

The materials and works in progress are still there, but it's telling a more intentional story about how I get from finding a new tree location, to research trips and sketchbooks, through to developed ideas and a completed series of artworks.

This proved to be a great way in to some memorable conversations (I had 206 visitors so can't remember them all!). I'd like to send a big thank you to everyone who made the trip to South Queensferry and particularly to those who chose my work for their own walls.

Although I'm in an exhibiting phase this month, I'm itching to start messing this up again soon.

Seeing trees through an artist's eyes

I’ve been immersed in the world of ancient trees for two decades now, so it was a real honour to be invited to speak about seeing them with an artist’s eye at the Ancient Tree Forum & Arboricultural Association Scotland Summer Forum last week.

Around 120 tree people from the UK and Europe gathered to share their knowledge, expertise, hopes and struggles around old trees. I learned about morphophysiology and the microbiomes of trees, I saw images of elms surviving in the north-west highlands and felt the urgency of campaigners working to give trees the protection they warrant.

I spoke about how all this scientific and practical knowledge has influenced how I observe and draw trees over the years. I shared my understanding of them as living things, at the mercy of their environment but also with agency in how they respond - a eternal process which parallels our human lives.

A single tree like this beech might be viewed as an amenity, a status symbol, shelter for livestock, habitat for invertebrates, a danger to the public, an invader amongst natives. To me it is also a thing of beauty, a kind of solidified time, a lesson in resilience, a slow motion dance, a story to be discovered through drawing.

My message seemed to make an impact, resonating with delegates' emotional connection to trees and communicating in a way in which only art can. I came home to this lovely message...

'At the end of a long day, I was in two minds to listen to someone talk about drawing trees, how can this make any difference to my knowledge? Well I am so glad I stayed. I was humbled by your passion, skills and ability to see in detail everything I have never noticed. You brought so much to the day and I am thankful you were there.' Keith

'Alder glimpses I' auctioned for the ATF

Other highlights were drawing the amazing Cadzow oaks with 60 people in a rolling woodland workshop, and raising £200 for the Ancient Tree Forum with my small alder-inspired artwork in their charity auction. It was good to be able to contribute in a small way to their work, which has influenced my own for so long.

This artwork has some slightly smaller siblings, which are now available from my studio - you can view them here.

VIEW THE 'ALDER FRAGMENTS'

'On the brim' 2026 Mixed media 50 x 50cm

On show now - 'Ancient Alders'

Nine new mixed media works inspired by Scotland ‘s ancient alders are now showing at the Kilmorack Gallery. This is the first exhibition of my most recent work.

If you’re too far away to see in person, the gallery has an excellent virtual tour on their website.

‘Ancient Alders’

5th June – 5th July

Kilmorack Gallery, near Beauly, Inverness-shire.

EXHIBITIONS

Exhibitions coming soon

Here are some other places you can see my work around the UK this summer…

‘Summer Exhibition’

27th June –30th August

Fidra Fine Art, Gullane, East Lothian

‘Strata’ Visual Arts Scotland

27th June – 31st August 2026

WASPS Inverness Creative Academy

‘What We Hold Still’ Art and Nature Collective

3rd – 31st July

Green Gallery, Dundee Botanic Gardens, Dundee

‘Sidney Nolan Art Prize’

11th July 2026 – 3rd October

The Rodd, Presteigne, Powys

‘Seen in the Trees’ (solo show)

16th July – 25th October

Arundells, Salisbury, Wiltshire

If you’re in the south-west of England and would like an invitation to the opening event on the 16th July, let me know – it would be great to meet in person.

GET IN TOUCH

Draw with me

If you like drawing, want to draw, wonder about drawing, wish you could draw...

I teach workshops and online courses and have just added new dates to my Workshops page and a waiting list for my next 'Permission to Draw' course in September.

Don't let a lack of experience or a negative story from the past put you off, I'm here to help you start drawing.

WORKSHOPS

PERMISSION TO DRAW

A day with the Cadzow ancients

I've never been anywhere quite like it - surrounded by squat oaks of startling complexity in a well hidden woodland with an ancient history. The whole Summer Forum went into the woods for a day, to learn, to draw, to gasp in awe...

This medieval hunting forest has somehow made it into the 21st century and we are fortunate to see it, study it and hopefully preserve it for centuries to come. Most of the Cadzow oaks are not publicly accessible, though you can easily find some on the wider Chatelherault parkland. I wish I'd taken more photos but quite honestly I was overwhelmed and could really only stare - you can probably see why.

Finally, I've just heard the news of David Hockney's death and am feeling sad but immensely grateful for his life's work. His dedication to drawing has always been a guiding light for me and, though I enjoy his paintings, I think it's his drawings which speak most eloquently. Hope I get to be 88 with a sketchbook still in my hand..

Very best wishes

Tansy

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Tansy Lee Moir
EO Physical Return Address
86-90 Paul Street
London
EC2A 4NE
United Kingdom

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