BENEATH THE OLD CANOPY

This 8 × 10-inch oil on canvas depicts a mature, beautifully weathered tree spreadingits twisting branches beneath a luminous summer canopy. The painting has a warm, impressionistic character, with energetic brushwork and touches of blue sky filtering through layers of green foliage.  The gnarled trunk and branching limbs are the focal point from the grounds of Notgrove, Cotswold, where I painted this oil plein air art. The tree's irregular shapes and exposed areas of bark give the tree a sense of age, resilience, and character. Dappled sunlight moves across the foliage and ground, while the mixture of deep greens, ochres, warm browns, and touches of blue creates a feeling of being immersed beneath the tree.

The relatively small canvas makes the scene feel intimate rather than monumental—almost like discovering a particularly beautiful tree while walking through a wooded or park-like landscape.