Aspen and birch trees are some of my favorite subjects in landscapes because the white bark makes a good contrast to all of the colorful leaves in the paintings. Since I photograph the trees from a distance, I rarely get a chance to really examine the bark.
This week I noticed a seven-foot aspen trunk for sale in a flower shop and immediately realized the possibilities of having it in my studio. I could put it under my skylight and observe the shadows on it throughout the day as I painted, helping me with the lighting on the trunks.
COLOR RANGE
What I didn’t realize was how many colors were actually in the bark that I always thought was white with brown and black striations and spots. I was delighted to see golds, peaches, aquas and greys with an undercoat of orange here and there. What a difference and inspiration for future paintings!
EARLY INFLUENCES
My love of trees may have started during my first six years when I lived on my grandfather’s timber ranch in Idaho, then developed further with my father’s apple orchard in Washington. Now, I live on a wooded lot surrounded by trees, and paint in a studio behind the house in a building whose dimensions were determined by the three vine maple tress on three corners. I know I’ll be painting trees for a long time and with the help of my aspen trunk, they will be even more colorful.
Below is a painting of birch trees near Whistler, B.C. The group of trees thrilled me so much that I’ve used them in several paintings. It is a 40″ x 40″ acrylic titled “Canadian Woods Turning Red”.
