This is a new painting for the upcoming Kada Gallery show that I am calling Mutual Admiration. It’s small ( 4″ by 8″ on paper) and simply constructed but it has what I feel is a very large presence.
It feels bigger than its size to me.
Maybe it’s the immense sense of calm it emits for me. It’s a meditative, tranquil feeling. I feel my blood pressure drop and my heart rate slow just by spending a moment or two looking at this piece.
And that’s a rare thing these days.
The Mutual Admiration comes from the two main elements in this picture. The Red Tree seems to be considering the rows of violet and green, which in turn appear to be returning the admiration as their rows converge near the base of its trunk.
Each sees the beauty, the wonder of the other.
Together, they turn their mutual admiration to the light of the sky that feeds them both and gives them a sense of something greater beyond their own beauty. And in that moment, there is a unity as though the universe recognizes their beauty as its own and embraces it wholly.
And for the time I spend looking at it, I feel a bit better. Comforted. Embraced.
That’s a lot to see in this small piece and maybe you won’t see it that way at all. That’s certainly okay. That is the nature of art.
Redtree Times 
This is the first time to your blog and the first time to see your beautiful art. I am taken with the red trees and the vibrancy of color. For the first time in my 71 years, I am learning to draw and use watercolor, taught by brother who has been an artist for most of his life. I always thought I had no talent–that he had it all. But what he is showing me after all this time is that much can be learned through technique. I am thus appreciating art in a whole new way, not just as an observer but as a budding participant.
Thank you for the kind words and for sharing your experience, Martha. I believe everyone has some sort of artistic talent. It may not always manifest itself in the manner one desires– you may never paint like Rembrandt–but if you look for a bit you will come across that avenue that suits your special talents. Have fun!