The Shyness of Trees Print By Marcel George

Crown shyness is a phenomenon observed in some tree species, in which the crowns of fully-stocked trees do not touch each other, forming a canopy with channel-like gaps.

Marcel is a 28 year old freelance illustrator, currently living in Peckham, South London. He studied Illustration at Brighton University and graduated in 2010 with first class honours.

He specializes in creating hand-painted, contemporary watercolour illustrations and takes his inspiration from the world around him. Whether it comes from Nature, Art or Fashion, it is always something visual. He also finds watercolour to be a very challenging way to create pictures, but equally rewarding when it goes right: "It is an enjoyable struggle to find the right balance between control and spontaneity".

He likes to paint animals and the natural world, because they are full of interesting colours, shapes and textures: "When you paint them, you can give them a personality or character that is sometimes unexpected but true in some way".

He was lucky enough to visit the Malaysian rain forest last year and was amazed by the beautiful jigsaw effect that the rainforest canopy seemed to create for itself. According to Marcel, it looks very democratic and polite, and he likes this idea that the natural world can be very ordered and balanced. It is quite reassuring and calming, plus "it is nice to be shy too".

12-colour pigment giclée print on 210 gsm Soft Textured Art Paper, 520 x 700mm, supplied in a strong black Magma poster tube.