about us

the colourful story of bark

WHAT'S THE STORY?

I got my first SLR camera in the early 80's and took off surfing through Asia with a close friend

we experimented with psychedelic coloured lenses and all the fan-dangled gadgetry of the time, when we weren't surfing during the day, or at night in the full moon

surfing the full moon on those remote Indonesian reefs does seems a little crazy to me now, but was unquestionably the thing to do at the time. I have vivid memories of paddling back out after catching a wave, and then putting my arm into what felt like scraping, scratching teeth, but turned out to be a large floating branch of a tree. I didn't hang around much to check out the detail though

there's always trees . . .

strangely the local fishermen thought we were insane, warning us repeatedly there were many big sharks out there at night

ah, the adventurous spirit of our youth

over the years I took some very unique photos of the rich cultural environments I was privileged to experience throughout Asia, Southern Africa, and Europe

I worked in Canada on 4 occasions, and Switzerland for another year, and made a point of traveling to amazing places on my return home - usually through North America, Asia, and Central and South America

these were no doubt some of the richest, most humbling, grateful, life experiences I ever had!

I met so many people in the poorest of circumstances who provided me with the most generous and caring hospitality, when they themselves lived meagerly

I'll never forgot each of them and will be forever grateful for their kindness

complete strangers whose kindness left a lifelong impression

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random photo's

art de TREEomphe - Nullabor Highway, South Australia - Animal Obstacles — Nullabor Highway, South Australia - Animal Obstacles

art de TREEomphe - Zillie Falls, Atherton Tablelands, Queensland — Zillie Falls, Atherton Tablelands, Queensland

art de TREEomphe - Lake Eacham, Far North Queensland — Lake Eacham, Far North Queensland

art de TREEomphe - Tropical Flower, Sydney Harbour Botanic Garden — Tropical Flower, Sydney Harbour Botanic Garden

over the years I captured some amazing images, along with random memories of places I'd never return to. And while I'm not keen on sticking my camera in peoples faces, I did get some photos of extraordinarily unique practices before they were somewhat eroded by our modern consumer culture

sadly most of my images from that time were on 35mm slides and were destroyed in 2 disasters over the years, including a major flood in Australia where my photos sat in flood water and mud for 2 weeks until I could get to them

in those events I lost 75% of everything I owned and was diagnosed with malignant melanoma the same year - a tremendous year of personal growth, strange as that may sound

random photo's

nevertheless that year, in particular, put life and relationships in a more realistic perspective, and I've been quite the minimalist, and more appreciative, ever since

bark4art hopes to inspire you to enjoy all the trees and plants we may otherwise take a little for granted

they're in your local park, on your way to work, at your local botanic garden, and if you're lucky, they may even be outside the window where you live

and upon closer inspection, you may also see their secrets, expressed in their ever-changing colours, textures, and detail - sometimes subtle, often abrupt, but constantly changing nevertheless

we love trees, and we can't live without them !

a little more for those curious, otherwise please click on the menu links to see some prints and images, both random and highly relevant

much of our bark photography was gathered in harsh and remote environments

traveling in remote Australia and taking photos of trees and nature in the bush can be fraught with some hazards, along with an even greater number of wonderful experiences

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random photo's

art de TREEomphe - Murray Falls, Far North Queensland — Murray Falls, Far North Queensland

art de TREEomphe - Standwell Park Lookout, New South Wales — Standwell Park Lookout, New South Wales

art de TREEomphe - Canarvan Gorge, Queensland — Canarvan Gorge, Queensland

art de TREEomphe - Iron Bull Sculpture, Mt Larcom, Queensland — Iron Bull Sculpture, Mt Larcom, Queensland

here's just some of the more memorable bities:

|] being bitten by snakes - the most venomous of which (an Eastern Brown Snake) bit me twice on the shin of a gumboot I was wearing at the time - fortunately!

|] another bit me on the toe in a campground I was walking through at night barefoot in Far North Queensland - oops!

I don't know what that was but it left me with some swelling, a huge headache, feeling sick for a couple of days - I took the wait and see approach on that occasion, but don't advise doing so to others

|] eaten alive by mosquito's and midges, over and over - they absolutely love me - not helped by the fact I don't like to use chemical repellent . . .

|] stung by wasps, hornets, bees, and many other flavours of stinging insects

|] bitten by huge bull ants, green ants, and every other type of ant going

I admit being a slow learner and have stepped on angry nests many times to photograph trees - not realising until they're already at my knees in shorts - by the hundreds!

|] bitten by fly's of every type and size - here in Australia, some are huge, readily draw blood, and can be quite painful

|] stung by a scorpion in the Northern Territory, who left a lasting impression for over a week

|] swooped by nesting birds of all kinds, whose strike can sometimes feel like being hit by a golf ball

|] threatened by very large goannas (monitor lizards), whose bite I'm told it's best to avoid for all the bacteria in their mouths - given their diet includes the rotting carcasses of dead animals

|] being watched by patient crocodiles - you know they're there watching, and you're definitely on the menu if you become careless and get too close to the waters edge

naturally however, this is all part of the fun and I always feel privileged to be immersed in the natural world. The nasties just add a little extra colour to the story, and the memories

random photo's

art de TREEomphe - Millaa Millaa Falls, Atherton Tablelands, Queensland — Millaa Millaa Falls, Atherton Tablelands, Queensland

art de TREEomphe - Josephine Falls, Far North Queensland — Josephine Falls, Far North Queensland

art de TREEomphe - Wallaman Falls, Ingham, Far North Queensland — Wallaman Water Falls, Ingham, Far North Queensland

art de TREEomphe - Tropical Waterfall, Far North Queensland — Tropical Waterfall, Far North Queensland

trees give us so much, and their protection in some instances is linked to our quality of clean air, healthy waterways, and our very survival

we hope to share our wonderful images of tree bark and Australian scenery, taken over many years. Along with all the great images yet to be revealed

we also hope to be generous to others, so as to pass on the favors along the way

If we achieve some success then we’d like to be charitable and help individuals and people doing great things for their communities

particularly those bringing positive lasting solutions to poverty, homelessness, environmental management, tree conservation, clean sustainable water supply here and elsewhere, animal protection, human development and adaptation, humanitarian support, disaster recovery, children's health and general well-being, and those genuinely caring for the elderly with dignity and respect, among others

if you enjoy the work presented here, please buy a print and hang it proudly for all to see and enjoy

we hope you'll come to love bark as much as we do, if you don't already

finally, thanks for your time and interest in reading the story of bark4art and art de TREEomphe

Stephen James

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about us

the colourful story of bark

WHAT'S THE STORY?

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