New artwork continues legacy of Sycamore Gap

This second homage from award-winning artist Lucy Pittaway will continue to both honour the stricken tree and enhance the environment and wider community.

Following the felling of the iconic tree in September 2023, Yorkshire-based artist Lucy was inundated with requests to immortalise it in a painting. At first reluctant, Lucy agreed only if its creation could become part of its legacy and contribute positively to the environment and the community.

Her pledge to plant a tree for every print sold of her painting ‘Sycamore Gap’ has seen 1,000 trees planted at Swinton Estate to create a woodland commemorating the tree, with more than 2,500 additional trees ready to be planted elsewhere.

Determined to continue to honour the legacy of the Sycamore Gap tree and contribute trees across the UK and further afield, Lucy has now created ‘Tree of Hope’, her second homage to the landmark. As with Sycamore Gap, Lucy has pledged to plant a tree for every print of ‘Tree of Hope’ sold. Additionally, she will also donate 25% to the National Trust Plant a Tree initiative from the sale of the original.

Lucy said: “When creating my initial painting I wanted to make sure it acted as a fitting legacy for the tree and positively gave back to the environment and the community. I’m thrilled that through that piece we have been able to already plant 1,000 trees and have more than 2,500 trees to plant in other locations across the UK.

“These trees, along with the thriving saplings which have been created using the original tree, truly represent hope, positivity and something good emerging from a terrible sadness.

“The new painting, Tree of Hope, depicts the sun breaking through the clouds above the fresh shoots of Sycamore Gap. After that initial sadness on hearing the news of the felling of the tree, to see life emerging is so wonderful and was what inspired me to create this new piece and to continue helping commemorate the tree however we can.”