Thomas at The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023
Biography
Thomas Perceval is a British artist based in Cardiff whose work centres on trees, with a particular focus on oak.
He was born in Evenjobb on the border of Mid Wales, where he grew up. The landscape of Mid Wales and the surrounding border country has greatly influenced his work.
On his morning college journey from Presteigne to Hereford on the bus, the image of the solitary winter oak tree surrounded by early morning mist made a vivid and lasting impression on him. The elevated viewpoint from the bus offered a new perspective over the hedgerows and across the landscape, while the length and repetition of the journey etched these images and memories deeply into his mind as a teenager.
Part of an Australian artistic dynasty, Thomas is the Grandson of renowned painter, John Perceval, Great Nephew of Arthur Boyd and Step Grandson of Sir Sidney Nolan, one of Australia’s leading artists. Surrounded by his family’s creativity from birth, a large part of his childhood was spent drawing & painting. As a young child some of his first artworks were simple paintings done on blocks of spare firewood!
The beauty of wood as a material was deeply appreciated from childhood into adulthood. The pattern of wood grain is a visible expression of growth through time, formed through the seasonal rhythms of water and light. A direct expression of the forces of nature coming together in material form.
At Hereford College of Arts, Thomas studied a National Diploma in Graphic Design, followed by a Foundation in Art & Design. He then studied BA Drawing at Camberwell College of Arts in London. After exploring the vast metropolis and a myriad of creative processes, he returned to the Mid Wales border.
Inspired by the surrounding landscape, with the image of the solitary early morning oak still etched in his mind, he re-engaged with the beauty and awe of the natural world.
He now captures the energy and character of trees in winter, by innovatively merging drawing techniques with laser burning technology.
Tree Artwork Process
Thomas explores the countryside extensively in search of the right tree, guided by aesthetics, form and feeling. Each tree embodies a deep connection between the natural world and the artist. The trees are solitary and bare, enabling all the fine branches to be observed.
The tree is photographed from a preferred angle, often in morning sunlight. The drawing work is then done in the studio from the photograph and typically takes hundreds of hours.
The finished drawings are meticulously intricate, expressing the complexity and serenity found in the shape and form of each individual tree. The pattern and curvature of the bark are captured in detail, revealing the movement and growth of the tree from the trunk to its fine branches.
Due to the time taken, only one or two drawings are usually produced each year.
The technique and finish of the artworks have been refined over more than a decade of observing trees, drawing them in fine detail and translating the drawings into wood through continual testing of laser power, frequency and focal distances.
Each laser-etched edition is created individually from the source drawing over many hours. Each hand-drawn line is effectively ‘re-drawn’ by the laser – a modern form of printmaking with wood panels rather than paper and magnified light as the mark-making source.
Through subject, material and technique – Trees, Wood & Fire – Thomas’s work invites you to perceive the elemental, temporal and eternal.
Fine details
The birch wood panel is sanded down to a very smooth finish. Thousands of individual burnt lines are layered up one by one to create the image. Darker areas contain a higher density of lines, while lighter areas are made up of fewer lines. All colouring is a result of the burning process.
The artworks are made with FSC-certified birch and the frames are made from FSC lime.
All artworks are limited edition, signed & numbered on the back. The individual wood grain pattern of the background and the nature of the burning process mean each edition is subtly unique.
Thomas’s work is sold internationally and has been exhibited widely across the UK, including at The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, The Royal West of England Academy Bristol and Olympia London.
Thomas at The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026