‘Dusk III – Ash Dieback V [Stump #264]’, framed monoprint, 38x43cm

Artizan Collective was selected ‘Dusk III’ for the Contemporary British Printmakers exhibition at Delamore 2025, and was subsequently sold.

This is part of my mini-series of Ash Dieback monoprints, documenting the ongoing decline of our native Ash.

There are 150 million ash trees in England, Scotland and Wales. Ash dieback is widely accepted to be untreatable and could see the demise of 90-98% of these trees over the next decade.

The words below are from the Ash Project, which was an urgent cultural response to the devastating effects of ash dieback in the Kent Downs:

“Almost 1000 species use ash including wood mice, liverworts, wrens, blue tits, bats, lichens, fungi and beetles. Bullfinches will eat ash keys in winter when food is scarce. More than 30 species of moth are dependent on Ash.

Many lichens are hosted by Ash. In the world of lichens, 536 species are found on Ash, 220 of which are nationally rare or scarce, 6 being given special protection under the Wildlife Countryside Act.
According to Oliver Rackham, author of the brilliant book The Ash Tree, the ash is the last refuge of many declining tree lichens, especially those that once grew on elms before they fell prey to Dutch Elm disease. King Alfred’s Cakes are specific to ash, and a number of beetles that live only on this fungus are dependent solely on ash for survival.

The ash is a significant tree for about 89 species of invertebrates, 65% found on living trees, the remainder are sacrophagous/saproxylic.
Live ash is the Sole food plant for around 34 species of invertebrates with an additional 13 insect species using ash and a few other food plant species. Where ash is a prominent tree at local/regional level, it may be key to maintaining a richness of biodiversity.”

Ash Species