‘From little acorns, mighty oaks do grow’ — English proverb
Hello again — I hope you are all well.
This morning I went for a walk along my local country track here in Posadas (Cordova) and this is what I scavenged…
Cork — (the front side which I will paint)The cork had fallen off the back of the truck which had been filled with the freshly-stripped cork from a nearby finca. (The more weathered, exposed side of the cork I will seal with shellac once washed and dried) The neighbouring finca where the cork oak trees are stripped of their bark which is then used for making… corks! Also, the black-hooved pigs are often kept in these fincas so they can eat the acorns which produce a high quality ham (‘jamón de pata negra’ in Spanish)The stripped trunks of the cork oak trees are even more red after the rain. It’s an impressive sight to see. These trees grow in the nearby finca of Calamon which once used to have an English-owned mine that worked til the beginning of the 20th century. I have written about this and other local mines in an earlier blog.
Those green-robed senators of mighty woods, Tall oaks, branch-charmed by the earnest stars, Dream, and so dream all night without a stir…– John Keats,Hyperion, Book I
Bird oil painting on cork
Flowering oak tree painted in oils on cork
Before painting, I seal the washed cork with shellac varnish so that the natural holes won’t suck up the paint. I also give a coat of the same varnish to the finished product after edging it with gold paint
As usual, I always have my little helper to lend a hand — or paw, rather!
