jana & js paint figures in the forest enclosed in tree trunk rings

jana & js paint figures in the forest enclosed in tree trunk rings
all images courtesy of jana & js

artists jana & js have taken to the natural world for a series of ‘suburban’ artworks painted directly onto the surface of trees. set within a forest landscape, the creative duo find their canvasses inside circles formed from the cross-section slice of a halved or cut tree branch. the figures illustrated inside respond to their confines, lounging in the arc of rounded tree ring and even crunched within the rim of the ridged bark. drawn in a stencil style, the portraits are of modern people, dressed in contemporary clothing — a juxtaposition to the organic scenery that surrounds them. typically, the artists work in a cityscapes and ‘are inspired by the city and integrated in urban environments.’ they describe ‘it was very exciting exploring this new support and seeing our work in a completely new ambiance. it gave a totally new dimension to our work. ‘

two figures lounge within the confines of the tree

a crunched man sits within the tree

the stencil-style figure is confined within the circle

a young girl is drawn onto the natural surface

illustrated onto a cross-section of a cut tree branch