As I was walking through our village Jubilee wood this week, I came across some galls in one of the small oak trees. As many of the trees are still only 6-8 feet high you get a good view of the lichen, galls and other beasties who live there and the bright almost luminous colours of some of the lichens in the sunshine are just wonderful.
These galls look like chocolate truffels stuck onto the branch but they definitely aren't for eating. The larval stages of the gall wasps induce the plant to make these abnormal growths called galls and our native oak trees are host plants for more than 30 species!
I can feel a print coming on once I've done more research into these little creatures but in the meantime I'm working on a lino print of woodpeckers. Our peanut feeder has attracted a greater spotted woodpecker in this colder weather and it's a pleasure to see him feeding there even though the squirrels are very good at getting in first.
Pen and ink sketch of Greater spotted woodpeckers for lino cut. 21 x 15 cm
Next stage......transferring to a block and start cutting once I've decided on whether to make it a reduction print or to use a block for each colour. Watch this space!
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