Twelve Sidmouth artists had their work on display at an exhibition at the National Arboretum at Westonbirt earlier this autumn. Organiser Rebecca Lockyear, one of the Sidmouth artists, highlighted the variety of tree life along the river:
“Despite the obvious grandeur of the National Arboretum, Sidmouth can still hold its own. The unique microclimate and protected valley running the length of the River Sid is home to a huge diversity of plant species. There are conifers whose original homes range from Patagonia to Alaska, flowering trees from sub-tropical areas of central America, palms from the mountains of China, and tough species that cope with the arid conditions of the Middle East and Australia.”
Local artists show work at National Arboretum exhibition | Sidmouth Herald
Rebecca’s paintings include the foxglove tree, rhododendron and apples – a mixture of ‘exotic’ to ‘native’.
From a century and a half ago, here’s a painting of the trees along the River by Constable[seventh and last child of John Constable RA]. What would the mix of trees have been then?
View on the River Sid, near Sidmouth – Lionel Constable, 1828–1887, British — Google Arts & Culture