Trunk and Limbs

Tree Art

Notes From My Tree Painting Journal

Today I finished the above tree trunk painting. It was painted from a reference photo of a tree near Brooker Florida and it is a Laurel Oak. I happened to spy it while checking a phone message outside of my truck. 

I am really enjoying this palette. I used it for the last painting too of a Live Oak last week.It is quite versatile and gives me a full range of neutrals and allows me to pump up the color if I wish with Cad Yellow Lemon as an accent. 

Good tree trunks and limbs can be quite difficult to paint because there is so much texture and foreshortening to do them properly. They are rarely symmetrical. My goal in 2013 is to intensify my tree painting study and be very serious about it. I am working out the various palettes I will be using to transition to the various seasons.

There is a new book out and I don't remember the author but he is an attorney and tree historian. The title of the book is The American Canopy, so I will be looking into that for my Kindle soon.