From the Artist: This was inspired by a photo I took in Redwoods National Forest. The trunks of the trees were so amazingly over-large. They seemed to fill up the space. The foliage was only an after-thought. I tried to capture the immense-ness and overwhelmingly striking presence of those tree trunks.
From the Painting Guide: Though I've encountered some big trees, I've never encountered a redwood. I've heard it's beyond anything one imagines, and I think you've captured a sense of this in your painting, of how the tree fills your entire view yet you're seeing only a small part of it.
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Composition: The strong shapes and degree of abstraction in this painting appeal to me. If the title of the painting didn't tell you this was a tree, and you saw the painting for the first time upside down, what would you think it was?
Mixed Media: You can't really tell from the photo, but Diana's mixed sand with her acrylic paint for texture in her painting. The colors on the trunk convey a fabulous sense of bark and, I'm sure, that when you're in front of the painting the texture adds to this.
Some purists shiver at the thought of mixed media, but it presents all kinds of new possibilities. I think it's easier to use acrylics than oils if you want a thick or buttery paint, because they dry quickly and act as a strong glue.
From the Painting Guide: Though I've encountered some big trees, I've never encountered a redwood. I've heard it's beyond anything one imagines, and I think you've captured a sense of this in your painting, of how the tree fills your entire view yet you're seeing only a small part of it.
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Composition: The strong shapes and degree of abstraction in this painting appeal to me. If the title of the painting didn't tell you this was a tree, and you saw the painting for the first time upside down, what would you think it was?
Mixed Media: You can't really tell from the photo, but Diana's mixed sand with her acrylic paint for texture in her painting. The colors on the trunk convey a fabulous sense of bark and, I'm sure, that when you're in front of the painting the texture adds to this.
Some purists shiver at the thought of mixed media, but it presents all kinds of new possibilities. I think it's easier to use acrylics than oils if you want a thick or buttery paint, because they dry quickly and act as a strong glue.