Original artwork description:

Alaska does not have Oak trees. In moving down to the West Coast, oak trees were among the most fascinating specimens, to this Alaskan country girl! They are beautiful old things with dignity and personality. They exude life and stability. These magnificent specimens are immensely different than the straight up aspens and birch of my former home.

The name of this plein air painting comes from a term my high school teacher used when students painted trees with prolific branch formations, often with twists, turns and curls. My teacher insisted we use straight lines. For Alaskan trees, that makes sense. We were not allowed to paint “lollypop trees, or exploding finger trees.” My absolutist young brain absorbed the terms and filed them under “bad.” There they stayed until I saw exploding finger trees, and even lollypop trees in nature.

Painting this oak was quite a challenge within the rigid confines I had inadvertently imposed on myself. Thankfully my good teacher’s advice, is now within the context of experience, and a wonderful injection of many other voice…including my own. It is my first painting representing an oak tree. I allowed myself to just be me, and paint is as I saw it, and felt within its presence.

Plein air paintings tend to look a little rough because many times, bugs and dust get in the paint. I have provided close ups, so you can get a better feel of authentic and grounding texture of a painting created out of doors, on site. Just an artist, her paints, in the landscape. It doesn’t get much better than that! This painting is sure to instill some of the life giving force of a great oak, into your home or office.

Materials used:

Professional quality oil colors and medium, on multimedia board

Tags:

#oil #landscape #traditional #colourful #painting #nature #contemporary #tree #blue #texture #light #calm #modern #original #fine art #color #colorful #yellow #paint #unique #colour #green #art #trees #colours #colourist #harmony #impressionist #cool #natural #impressionism #decorative #life #artist #arts #painter #zen #organic #calming #relaxing #colorist #impressionistic #oils #meditative #leave #paintings #oak tree #artists #impression #oak #creative #tree trunk #artistic #best #plein air #treescape #en plein #originals #oak trees #creator #from life #impressionists #oaks #hopeful #fine artist #talya #johnson #colorists #fine artists #treescapes #creatives #coloursits #hamonious #grounding #on site #open air #tali