Māori used its wood for carving, making canoes and agricultural implements. They also drank its liquid to treat consumption and as an antiseptic. During rainy periods, beneath its bark, Matai reveals a blood-red under surface. Hence my reasoning behind choosing the several shades of Sanguine Conté crayon (the colour of dried blood) to render the image. Sanguine (Hematite) is a red-brown iron-oxide that allows great subtlety in rendering gradations onto paper and for its ability to create flesh tones. In this work, I wanted to convey the Matai’s subtle complex surface and its responsiveness in how it changes and reveals itself according to atmospheric and climatic conditions. As in traditional life-drawing practices, its rendering in Sanguine emphasises its presence as a living form.