For the creation of this painting, I was first approached by director and screenwriter André Desrochers. He was looking for artists to collaborate on his upcoming film “DES ARBRES ET DES ARTS”. I was immediately interested in his project, which aims to highlight the ecology of the Suroît forest by focusing on the region's distinctive, endangered or exceptional, species. The idea is to show that trees are not just resources to be exploited, but that they play a crucial role in the local ecosystem and must be protected. What makes this project truly original is that the floor will be given to the trees, who will express themselves directly.

To underline the importance of trees as a source of life, the project includes works of art created from dead trees, giving them a second life. For my part, I chose to paint a rare species, the shagbark hickory, and to integrate pieces of bark into my creation. To observe these majestic trees and capture some photographs for inspiration, I went to the Parc nature Bois-Robert in Beauharnois.

After some thought, I decided to depict the shagbark hickory from a low angle, accentuating its impressive height, as this tree can reach up to 25 meters. This angle also allowed me to highlight its distinctive bark, which frays with age into long, curled strips. In the foreground of my painting, I incorporated young shagbark hickory shoots, symbolizing the hope of possible regeneration.