FILLMORE : Artist Makes His Mark on Australian Tree Bark

Artist Richard (Toolie) Palmer’s work resembles sepia-toned landscape photographs, but the 19 pieces on display at Fillmore’s Sespe Gallery are collages made entirely from the paper-thin bark of the Australian tea tree.

The Palmer show opens tonight with a public viewing from 5 to 7:30 at 344 Central Ave.

A lifelong resident of Fillmore, Palmer, 76, got his start in the medium 17 years ago while visiting Australia.

“There was an article in the Brisbane Sunday paper about bark painting that intrigued me,” Palmer said. “So I went out and took some bark off a tree and tried it.”

Using white glue, a wood-burning tool and cutting implements, Palmer spends four or five days crafting each scene. Although it is called bark painting, no paint is used.

Palmer said that because the tea tree grows only in Australian swamps, he makes a trip every two years to collect bark, which varies in hue according to the age and location of the tree, he said.

“It comes off the tree about an inch thick, and the bark is multilayered and damp because of where it grows,” Palmer said. As the bark dries, Palmer peels away layers, “and every one is a different color.”

Favorite subjects include old barns and local buildings. A depiction of the historic red schoolhouse between Fillmore and Santa Paula is included in the show.

Palmer, a retired teacher, said he has sold about 1,200 paintings and has given away countless others to friends and former students from Fillmore High School. Although bark paintings may sell for up to $500 in Australia, Palmer prices his from $50 to $150.

“I’d rather have them in somebody’s home than stacked under the bed,” he said.

The works will be on display through Feb. 21. Sespe Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Admission is free.