An award-winning York gallery owner has marked the anniversary of the felling of an iconic tree.
One year after the iconic Sycamore Gap tree was cut down, a pledge by Lucy Pittaway has seen more than 1,000 trees planted.
Following the felling in September 2023, North Yorkshire-based artist Lucy Pittaway decided to make a painting in tribute to the tree. Lucy's painting was designed to "become a legacy" to the tree, that could contribute positively to the environment.
The resulting painting, depicting the tree with a Northern Lights backdrop, sold thousands of prints online and in her galleries across North Yorkshire, including in York.
Lucy and her team came up with the idea of making a donation for every print sold to plant new trees and create a publicly accessible area of woodland at Swinton Estate.
Donations from the sales of Lucy’s Sycamore Gap painting have already contributed more than 1,000 trees including sycamore, oak, rowan, hazel and other native trees.
"Like everyone else I was so saddened to hear about the felling of the tree," said Lucy.
"To now see this new woodland coming to life is wonderful and I’m so grateful to everyone who has helped us come this far. I hope this is an area that can be used for relaxation for generations to come.
"Thanks to everyone’s generosity and interest in the painting, we have thousands of other trees still to plant in a variety of locations and we’re excited to be able to continually contribute to the community around us and enhance the environment at the same time.
"If what we are doing can inspire people’s interest in art and the countryside then the legacy of the Sycamore Gap tree will be a positive one."
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