Original artwork description:

My painting If You Go Down To The Woods Today was inspired by my many walks in our local national parks.

Trees are vital. As the biggest plants on the planet, they give us oxygen, store carbon, stabilise the soil and give life to the world's wildlife. . One large tree can supply a day's supply of oxygen for four people.

Walking in nature helps reduce depression and anxiety.

When we're walking, we're more likely to have increased clarity of thought, and less obsessive negative thinking. Walking in expansive places such as a forest increases our oxytocin levels, the hormone that promotes feelings of love, wellbeing and connectedness.

The Japanese have popularized the idea of forest bathing. A lot of studies out of Japan have shown that trees and plants emit aerosols that can calm our mind and have a huge impact on human biology.

The cause of a lot of the anxiety we see today is that life now goes at a pace that is not conducive to discerning thought. Our thoughts build up and up and up, and we have no time to work out how we actually feel. It's an information overload. Walking gets us in exactly the right pace and rhythm to think well.

Materials used:

oil paint

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