We had a strange request recently from a freelance lady artist. Could she make a silicon cast of the bark of our Swamp Cypress (Taxodium distichum).

Sarah arrived this morning with a large tub of the casting rubber and set about spreading the pink material over a substantial area of moistened trunk, of our approximately forty year old tree.

Later in the afternoon Sarah returned and gently peeled off the size-able sheet of bark textured, silicon rubber. I had been a little sceptical of the outcome, but was impressed with the result and could imagine it making an attractive and interesting wall hanging.

The mould will, after several further processes, produce a bark texture material which will be stuck to a carved polystyrene tree trunk. After painting this will be used in an exhibition about dinosaurs in Germany.