A Colourful Life: Painting Hope After the Bordeaux Wildfires

On the outskirts of Bordeaux, I recently visited an area devastated by wildfire to paint and gather inspiration for a new body of work exploring our relationship with the natural world.

It was a difficult landscape to encounter. Blackened tree trunks stood as stark reminders of the destruction, yet beneath them bright green ferns were already beginning to emerge. That contrast between devastation and regeneration was incredibly powerful — and, despite everything, offered a sense of hope.

For my study, I began with charcoal collected directly from the burnt trees, using the landscape itself to make marks on the paper. I then introduced paint sticks, gouache, Inktense pencils and ink, responding to the unexpected colours I could see: brilliant blue sky, burnt oranges, deep blacks, purples and turquoise alongside the vivid new green growth.

My paintings have long explored the relationship between people and nature and our responsibility towards the environment. This experience will feed into a new series of paintings looking at wildfire, environmental impact, regeneration and the extraordinary resilience of the natural world.

Watch the latest episode of A Colourful Life to join me as I paint amongst the fire-damaged trees near Bordeaux.