8 x 8 inches, Oil on Masonite, © Ann Painter, 2010SOLD
The Badlands at Ghost Ranch are filled with old cedar trees that have stood unchanged, for decades. During my last plein air painting class, I found myself feeling drawn to paint several of them. This particular tree is set into the landscape in an area not easily seen from the road. There is an arroyo winding along in front of it and, depending on your point of view, purple hills in the background. The twists and turns of the tree and the way it framed the background hills really drew my eye, and I wanted to see if I could create an image that would represent my experience of this place.
These old cedars have endured years of weather that would have destroyed many other trees and yet, they stand year after year, virtually unchanged. Their roots are dried up and branches broken but they continue to stand. Each tree has a unique character and spirit reflected in the twists and turns of its dried out limbs reaching toward the sky. They are not dead, but very alive.
These old cedars have endured years of weather that would have destroyed many other trees and yet, they stand year after year, virtually unchanged. Their roots are dried up and branches broken but they continue to stand. Each tree has a unique character and spirit reflected in the twists and turns of its dried out limbs reaching toward the sky. They are not dead, but very alive.