The Tree Within

The Tree Within: A Mixed-Media Landscape in Copper and Lightning

The Concept This striking piece captures a powerful narrative of resilience: a lone, steadfast tree weathering a violent lightning storm. By combining three vastly different mediums—reclaimed wood, raw electricity, and hand-forged metal—the artwork brings this turbulent, atmospheric landscape to life.

The Sky: Beetle-Kill Blue Pine The canvas for this landscape is a slab of sustainably sourced blue pine. Harvested from trees affected by the mountain pine beetle, the wood features a naturally occurring "blue stain" fungus. These dramatic, sweeping streaks of silver and smoky blue perfectly emulate a dark, rolling storm front gathering in the background.

The Storm: High-Voltage Lightning To create the storm itself, thousands of volts of raw electricity were channeled directly into the wood. Using the dangerous and unpredictable Lichtenberg burning technique, the current carved its own path of least resistance across the pine. The resulting fractal burns act as literal, physical lightning strikes, permanently scarring the wood with the explosive energy of a real electrical storm.

The Tree: Hand-Forged Copper Standing unyielding amidst the chaotic burns is a highly detailed, three-dimensional tree built from pure sheet copper. In stark contrast to the uncontrolled lightning, the tree is born entirely from deliberate, technical craftsmanship:

• Repoussé and Chasing: The copper sheet was worked by hand using chisels to hammer, raise, and sculpt the structural relief of the trunk and branches.

• Solder Sculpting: The deep, rugged texture of the bark was built up and manipulated using a precise 63/37 eutectic solder, which flashes instantly from liquid to solid, allowing for exacting control over the metallic form.

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The Result Storm Watch is a profound visual story. The eye is drawn to the exact, methodical precision of the resilient metal tree in the foreground, anchored against the violent, uncontrolled electrical strikes tearing through the wood behind it. It is a stunning showcase of multi-media craftsmanship and an arresting focal point for any room.

A Critical Safety Note on Lichtenberg Burning: The fractal burns featured in this artwork were created using high-voltage electricity. This process is extraordinarily dangerous, highly unpredictable, and has resulted in numerous fatalities among hobbyists. Standard household electrical safety equipment offers absolutely zero protection against the thousands of volts required to force a current through wood. While the resulting scars on the wood are undeniably beautiful, the process leaves no margin for error.

We strongly advise admirers of this piece to simply enjoy the technique’s visual impact and never attempt to replicate the Lichtenberg burning process themselves.  I learnt this first hand,