We are delighted to welcome back for a second time, Artist in Residence, Lesley Seeger. This year of work will will give Lesley the opportunity to explore the 120 acres of trees throughout the seasons. As a landscape painter in North Yorkshire, the study of trees has been central to her practice for years; shapes, colours and significance are a constant source of inspiration. At a time when nature is under threat and engagement with the earth is eclipsed by a contemporary obsession with technology, she seeks to record the fields, trees and furrows whilst we still have them.
As a landscape painter in North Yorkshire, the study of trees has been central to her practice for years; shapes, colours and significance are a constant source of inspiration. At a time when nature is under threat and engagement with the earth is eclipsed by a contemporary obsession with technology, she seeks to record the fields, trees and furrows whilst we still have them.
Lesley paints in chalky acrylic onto Birch ply primed with gesso. The elemental, ‘earthy’ properties of these materials support the core of her artistic practice, plein air landscape painting. Painting outside in the landscape and completing work in the studio, she will sketch directly onto the board, capturing the immediacy of moment and place. The many layers of each painting contain the painterly journey from chaos and destruction to order and balance, mirroring the cycle of death and rebirth in the natural world
There will be several opportunities throughout the year to see Lesley both at work, and at workshops and drop-in sessions. The residency will culminate in an exhibition in April 2026, titled ‘The Spirit of Trees.’
