Cottonwoods

Acrylic, tempera, and plaster on high profile canvas (36" W x 36" H x 1.75" D).    

This painting was inspired by the massive cottonwood trees that grow in Oklahoma. The Arkansas River flows near downtown Tulsa and winds its way south and east toward the Mississippi. When you stand on its eastern bank you can look up at these gorgeous trees as you reach out and feel their powerful trucks which are often over six feet in diameter. These giants have stood along this river long before Oklahoma was a state, before it was known as Indian Territory, back to a time when North America’s native peoples lived in peace along these banks.

I hope you can imagine these trees when you look at this painting. I hope it might remind you of a time and place in nature when you stood among giant trees took in their beauty.

This painting screams big oranges, magentas, blues, and yellows. These acrylic and tempera paints I used in making Cottonwoods are bold, strong colors that pay tribute to the trees and their heritage.

Colors: Magenta, orange, yellow, sky blue, lime green, black

Click this link to see a video of the creation of this painting.