The more I come to understand all the incredible attributes of trees, the more I am in awe. I guess it’s partly the way they keep trying. Storms come through and knock out the older trees, and before long a new generation occupies the clear space. In the meantime, the decaying tree is home to so many critters. Watching all this change and renewal gives me hope. Of course we have to do our part, too. Enjoy.

Technical painting notes: I started the painting by loosely blocking in the larger shapes, then, while the paint was still wet, used a scraper and a pencil to start indicating the trunks and limbs. When the base layer was dry, I painted the negative sky areas and refined the trunks, adding highlights as well as using the pencil to define more details.