Silver Birch

In Uber Birch, Forster draws the viewer’s eye to the relationship between sunlight and shadow, and how this connection can unlock limitless compositions, bringing even the most simplistic scenes to life.  Shapes echo themselves in the languid movement of the stream and the small gentle clouds; this is in stark contrast with the strong vertical lines imposed by the trees.  The whole scene is bathed in golden hue of tranquillity.

Forster states that ‘with all of the collection Uberpaintings, I find myself addressing subjects that have always been a favourite of mine, that are intrinsically linked to the nature of watercolour, this is after all a main stay in the development and construction of any Uberpainting. The Birch tree has become almost a symbol of the medium to me it is my motif and the signature of the beginning of uberpainting

I have been drawn to birch trees because they are white, and white to a watercolourist is akin to a moth and flame. White is the mirror that we reflect our entire tone and palette from, white is the start and end to every painting.  I remember seeing a stand of birch trees in spring with a low cold sun shining on their bark after a rain storm; they contrasted magnificently with the passing of the dark clouds in the background. This was crucial in compounding my development as a watercolourist. To me only watercolour can truly capture the fleeting nature of such a scene. Watercolour lends its self to a snapshot of a moment in the same way an oil painting can reflect the stillness of a figure or a bowl of fruit.