Green Wind

The full moon these past two nights has been spectacular. I can't remember when it's been so bright and illuminating. Friday night I played ball with Koda and Baxter under the moon's pearly gaze but the scenery was so distracting I stopped frequently to study it. The trees on our property were coated with ice from the recent storm and glistened like crystal. The pines drooped from the weight of it all and looked so graceful silhouetted against the sky. I tried to hold that image for future reference.
I enjoy drawing and painting trees..each specie has its own personality and character that can change dramatically with the seasons and weather conditions.
This is a pastel painting of an ancient apple tree in Kennebunk in summer. It's on the property of a fellow pastel painter who hosted a group plein air demonstration in which I participated. Two of the tree branches are so long and heavy the owners propped them up with beams to keep them from breaking. I thought that was a valiant effort to keep their beloved tree going.
The old apple was a challenge to paint as I didn't want to get caught up in detail...just wanted to capture the spirit of the tree gently blowing in a soft summer breeze laden with the humidity of the day....this was my third try.
I'll think more about the tree shapes and mysterious colors of the these recent moonlit nights and plan for a nocturnal painting of them in the future. The feeling will be quite different from this one and a great way to explore the colors and tone values of night.
Green Wind is still available...I wonder if the tree survived the ice storm..