The Sabal Palm Triptych is a collaborative work by three artists: Jacqui Pestell, Işık Güner and Sarah Roberts. Later, Sharon Tingey joined with a brush loaded with paint.
When the Sabal Palm was still standing alone in the glasshouse, we had access to it and managed to draw and colour-match as closely as we could the free fronds and the fruits. Separately, we were able to truly experience the full power of this giant palm and record our observations through sketches and colour mixing — the multitude of ochres, sage greens and dark, rich blue-grays involved in the multi-layered foliage.
This was back in September 2021. The palm was labelled Sabal bermudana — a red-listed endangered species from Bermuda. It was later renamed by Dr Axel Dalberg Poulsen as Sabal mexicana, which was a relief, as we now know it is not endangered.
RBGE Glasshouse
Working collaboratively on the same painting with three individual artists is quite a unique way of working. Different techniques and styles came together, and we painted fearlessly — layering brushwork on top of each other's underlying strokes.
Our studio for the duration of the project was the home of the Sabal Palm itself, after 180 years of growing. What a wonderful place to carry out the paintings — the very home of the tree. The atmospheric conditions were perfect for us to feel truly immersed and to capture the character of this fine specimen.
Alongside our prepared sketches and ideas, we worked from large photographs, piecing and constructing our drawings by combining different images to compose the ideal composition for each piece.
The experience of painting the Sabal Palm Triptych was, at first, daunting. Three huge pieces of 2.5-metre-high white paper needed to be covered with paint and detailed observation to describe this extraordinary tree, which no longer stands.
First painting: the giant frond
The first painting was a life-size study of a single giant frond. Here we tried to realise the structure of the frond — too many veins converging at the centre, with the frond flicking out from the top. The complex geometry of the frond's structure proved far more difficult than we had anticipated. To capture the correct order of every upper vein leading out to its individual tip was a considerable challenge. We needed to lay down multiple layers of colour, building up a beautiful depth of greens, grays and blues. The palette ranged from pale dusty blue-grays through greenish-grays to rich olive tones — a range of colours that made the enormous frond all the more interesting.
Second painting: the whole tree
Moving on to the whole tree, our challenge was to draw it on paper at one-seventh of its actual size. We needed to create the correct perspective and angle — looking up at the tree — to convey its magnificence. The foliage was particularly tricky, as the angles were multifaceted and the fronds extended in all directions, overlapping one another. We had to carefully work out what was in front, what was to the side, and what receded into the background. We addressed this by using paler tones for the background layers, allowing the fruit branches at the centre to come forward — tiny black beads amongst all those beautiful leaves. The trunk itself required so many layers of painting that we feared it would never be complete. We also had to reshape the angle of the trunk, just when we thought it was finished, in order to achieve the right perspective.
Third painting: the branch of fruits
The third painting — a large branch of fruits — seemed as though it would be the easiest. No straight lines, no complex forms. But there were millions upon millions of conical fruits, and the entire branch was filled with colours ranging from dark purply blues through dusty green-grays to warm browns, all hanging from those graceful branches. We had to ensure that every cluster of fruits led somewhere — back to the main branch and from the right point. Getting the balance right between the thinner branches coming from above and breaking up the space was crucial. We pieced together many photographs to find just the right angles and details. This painting was truly enjoyable, and the colours were gorgeous.
Painting life-size with the frond and fruit branch was one challenge; reducing the whole tree to a seventh of its size while maintaining perfect scale and proportion was equally so. All three paintings measure 240 × 120 cm, executed in watercolour.
It was a privilege to carry out these paintings for the RBGE archive — to mark an important occasion and say farewell to the oldest tree in the glasshouse.
