Quiet Woods

When I first started painting, the first art book I bought was an old classic, The Artistic Anatomy of Trees.  Long before I became an artist, I've been intrigued with what I call the 'grace' of trees.....the beautiful lines of limbs and trunks.  IMHO, nothing will kill a painting faster than stick trees - stiff, straight limbs that make me wonder if the artist has ever really looked at a tree?  This 9 x 12 oil is my continued attempt to paint limbs and trunks that have a graceful anatomy.

Quiet Woods

12" x 9" oil on Ampersand gesso board

Available at Walt Horton Fine Art Gallery

I am writing this in the Phoenix Airport, waiting for a flight for LAX - then on to New Zealand, where I'm teaching a painting holiday in the part of the country where I grew up.  Afterwards, I'll be painting daily for a new project called, 60/60 Painting Challenge.  I challenged 26 other artists on Facebook to join me in this daily painting-from-life project.  I'll be painting landscapes plein air - hopefully learning a little more about the artistic anatomy of some of New Zealand's beautiful native trees.  I'll be posting the pieces here daily starting March 6, so stay tuned!