Painting the Toes of the Elephant

A week ago, I took a plein air class. Of the many pieces I made using either watercolor or acrylic, it's this one watercolor that I really like. Two acrylics have some potential if I ever get inspired enough to finish them.

I was getting impatient to post this painting so I shot it with a flash because it's very overcast this morning. Thus, the photo is a bit washed out. If I get back to the site, I will add a photo of the tree trunk to the post. Here's a picture of the same tree but from another angle. Notice all the colors in the bark and and the lovely scalloped edges. I love this tree trunk and I'm grateful that I finally got into a zone that allowed me to paint it.

When you examine it closely, nature is very complex. When I looked at the whole tree with all the things that are happening with color and texture and form, I was overwhelmed. In the end, the only way I could begin to capture the feeling of this tree was to zoom in on a small section.

Working in watercolor, this was a lot like drawing with a brush -- the style where you look at the object more than the paper. The trunk reminds me of an elephant's skin, trunk, and legs. The roots seem like elephant feet. When I really connected with the tree and got into my zone, I felt like I was actually painting the tree itself, not the watercolor paper. I fancied myself carefully painting decorations on the toes of a patient elephant.