The Rowan Tree
30 inches (76.2 cm.) wide by 40 inches (101.6 cm) high In North America the Rowan tree is called a Mountain Ash but it’s not actually an Ash. It is in the Rose family, producing the characteristic fruit of that family, looking like clusters of bright red rose hips. Early Americans called them Ash Trees because they had compound leaves like the Ash. A compound leaf has a main stem with little leaflets coming off of it. This was good news for my daughter who wanted to plant one in her yard but was concerned about the Emerald Ash Borer Beetle. I told her not to worry about the...
Read MoreRed Mangroves
31 and 3/4 inches (80.6 cm.) wide by 24 inches (61 cm) high Trees need fresh water, stable soil, oxygen for their roots and, if they are to reproduce, an expanse of ground upon which to sow their seeds. The Red Mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) thrive in a habitat which has none of these basic requirements. How do they do it? One answer is their marvelous prop roots which you can see at the bottom of this painting. These roots stabilize the tree in the muddy and infirm soil, filter out salt from the water and enable the tree to absorb oxygen directly from the air. The ecological...
Read MoreDwarf Cypress and Red-Shouldered Hawk
24 inches (61 cm.) wide by 24 inches (61cm) high One of the features of a successful painting is a broad color range. A scene combining brilliant blue water, rich green leaves and bright flowers usually grabs our attention. This scene is the opposite. It is a study in muted colors. But it fascinated me because of the harmony of the colors between the trees and the Hawk and the story that they told. The pale grey color of the bark distinguishes the Pond Cypress (Taxodium ascendens) from its big cousin, the Bald Cypress (Taxodium Distichum). In poor and drier soils, where the Pond...
Read MoreUnder the Rhododendrons (sold)
20 inches (50.8 cm.) wide by 18 inches (45.7 cm) high Most of the thousand species of Rhododendron are small shrubs. I remember as a child being fascinated with their brilliant flowers just at eye level. But since I’ve grown a few feet taller I usually admire their flowers from above. That is, I did until I went hiking in the Smoky Mountain National Park where giants live. Here the Rhododendrons towered over us as we hiked. This painting therefore represents an unusual perspective for these plants—looking up from underneath. Huge trees and the famous Smoky Mountain mist...
Read MoreSumac in the Rain
26 inches (66 cm.) wide by 24 inches (61 cm) high I have low expectations when hiking in the rain, but I shouldn’t. Colors are more saturated in low contrast lighting. And Sumac is unsurpassed for the brilliance of its autumn colors. They range from pale yellow-green through orange, red and scarlet. A month earlier these Sumacs would still have earned their reputation for outstanding redness but not on account of their leaves. In late summer dense cones of brilliant red fruit protrude from the ends of green leafy branches. Indeed, the name “Sumac” is derived from the Arabic...
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