A new artist living in Woodford will be holding an exhibition from next week and presenting Haven House Children’s Hospice with a piece of his work.

Trees of Life, by 51-year-old David Varney, at the Loughton Arts Centre between March 16 and 30, will display his 3D resin artwork. I spoke to him to find out more…

Describe your work

Using paint, pigments, inks and metallics with crafted embellishments, all incorporated with resin, I like to create 3D resin art to create reflective and tactile pieces of truly original wall art.

What inspires you?

I’m a conservation volunteer in Epping Forest, along with being a regular visitor to the forest for recreation and am inspired by nature in general but particularly the vast array of colours, beauty and interest that the trees give us through the seasons.

Tell me about working as a volunteer and fundraiser for Haven House Children’s Hospice?

Voluntary work and fundraising help you engage with your community, meet new people and learn new skills and working with Haven House allows me to try and support those that perform an amazing role in supporting the children. I’m very proud that my youngest daughter, Melissa, is a ‘young champion’ volunteer for the Hospice and hope that like me, you learn to appreciate what you have and what you can give.

Why do you do it – why is it important to you?

I know that there are things I could never do in terms of supporting the children of Haven House but like most people, there are many other things you can do that are equally supportive and having this amazing organisation in our community is an opportunity to show our support and appreciation of those that do those things that many of us can’t.

Tell me about the exhibition

I had a traumatic event in my life a couple of years ago and my art and voluntary work in the forest helped me deal with the ensuing depression and anxieties. Trees of Life is my way of celebrating our wonderful forest and the way in which it has helped me and countless others deal with the joys and sorrows of our everyday lives.