As thunder rumbles and rain roars down here in Indiana, I am posting my painting for the end of Spring Challenge. I have been working on abstract paintings for several months and I feel like I had to learn to use a brush again. I thought I had lost the painting early in the process but I recovered enough to complete it. I was inspired by the dancing light I see when I walk through the ravines in Ft Benjamin Harrison State Park here in Indianapolis. The trees reach skyward and the light filters in giving a glow behind the back lit trees.
The Spirit of Trees Greenly Reaching
I can’t wait to see what everyone else has done!
Linda Halcomb's Blog 
Linda, this is my very favorite of all your works! To me i tsuggests soaring hopes, the majesty of trees, the height of men’s expectations. When I stare at this painting…and I have been doing so for the last ten minutes, I take a huge, deep breath. It nourishes my spirit. The light rolls down the trees and washes over me. I am transfixed.
Thank you Harriett! This exactly the way the images in the ee cummings poem made me feel…like I could soar…like I was enrished.
[…] you would like to see what other artists have created click here, and everyone participating will be leaving their link to their contribution in the comment […]
This is absolutely gorgeous, Linda. My favorite part is how you have drawn me up the trunks of the trees by detailing the shapes of the leaves at the top . ….and the light! Oh, the light beautiful light!
Thank you for offering this challenge for us to participate. My contribution is here: http://lesliepaints.wordpress.com/2011/06/20/end-of-spring-challenge/
Thank you for posting the full poem Leslie. I didn’t want everyone to get distracted by other images (like the blue true dream of sky which also hooked me). And thank you for the feedback. I had fun with this one and continued to learn.
WOW!!! This is a beautiful painting, Linda. It mystically takes you back thru the trees, thru the forest. It’s amazing!
My Trees can be found here: http://bethparkerart.wordpress.com/2011/06/20/the-leaping-green-spirit-of-trees-paint-out/
Thanks for doing this challenge, Linda. I had a great time! I can’t wait to see what everybody else does. 🙂
I enjoyed doing this. It is so much fun to work with a word image that really inspires you.
Very beautiful work! And thank you very much for the experience, I enjoyed doing this.
Leslie and Beth: very nice works, too! Thanks for sharing your art.
My humble contribution: http://vinyleraser.wordpress.com/2011/06/20/end-of-spring-challenge-2011/
[…] must post it the last day of Spring, June 20th, and leave a comment with your contribution in the Linda’s post (follow the link to see the other […]
Wow! This is so haunting and yet beautiful. It has a very mystical touch to it. I sadly forgot about this challenge, but hope to do something today and post it later, but it won’t do justice for such a great challenge… Darn it, I can’t believe that I forgot it!
No problemo! Just have fun…
This is quite beautiful Linda. I love the cool blues in it. I really feel as if I were standing under the trees and looking up.
I was thinking about 90 degree Indiana days – the only place to be cool and “with nature” is walking under the trees, preferrably with a canine friend.
Linda, your painting is just gorgeous! Thanks for the challenge and thanks for the inspiration.
Here is my attempt: http://drawingpins.wordpress.com/2011/06/20/end-of-spring-paint-out/
I still have so much to learn about watercolor but had it not been for your challenge I would not have gotten another attempt under my belt. Cheers to the first day of summer everyone!
Your work is really great and I am so glad you participated.
Hi Linda, Your painting is wonderful. I love the perspective! Thank you for organizing this Enf of Spring Paint out. It’s my first, I may continue to work on this. Thanks again,
Dawn
I am really glad that you participated. I think we learn from each other.
[…] Gordon’s paintings to see what a real watercolorist’s work looks like. Also check out Linda’s post to see her Paint Out result. Everyone who contributed work to the challenge can be found linked in […]
What a great painting! I like the perspective, great colors too!
Thank you Sandrine. This was a change for me and very challenging.
[…] blogging challenge was something that I was really excited to participate in. I was really surprised that it was such […]
I love this! Thanks so much for offering all of us such a neat challenge. I’m up for anything you want to throw at us. Your picture is great, love the way it was executed. I had a hard time with mine, but I am very proud of it! Sorry for the late submission! >>
No problem posting a little late. I’m just glad you participated and learn from it and (I hope) had fun.
beautiful Linda. this is a beauty. i like the way you’ve caught the light. i really like that you did not go dark and black with the backs of the trees but kept it to that middle value and then went on out into the light from there – with just a spattering of mid-dark values at the edges. very well seen by your eye to catch that and understand it into paint. i also like that reversed weight (something i play with a lot at times) or what i call reversed weight or light, in that the darker areas of the work are more at the top of the painting than at the bottom which is so often the way people paint – bottom heavy top light. i like it the way you’ve worked it in reverse. way cool on that, okay, i just plain like it. way fun. aloha.
Aloha Wric, Thank you for your analysis. You see things that I wasn’t even thinking about. I justr wanted something that let the light shine through. I respect your work and insights and your words are always helpful. And by the way, aren’t there greenly reaching trees in the Aloha State? 🙂
aloha Linda – our work is not totally the thing we are aware of as we do it. sometimes it speaks to us so clearly that we do it in wow ways without even being aware of it. …so our work is also what we are not aware of (as i see it). and that still counts as being “ours”.
the fact remains that you did this the way you felt it was right as you worked – aware or not aware of that is not the issue (imo).
the way i see it, take credit for what you did. when you do that, you begin to trust yourself to do the right thing in your work, whether you are aware of it or not as you work.
in short.. yeah, you did it the way you did it because you are you – and being you is one of the things i believe painting, creating and being human is about, may be all about – or one of the things it is most about. yeah it’s not not quite every thing. there are a few other things too – still it’s a lot about being you and trusting yourself. this is a beautiful work – and you did it. all of it. exactly as you did it. do more. and another. and… yeah. you get the idea.
yeah. there are greenly reaching trees here. it’s a beautiful quote that inspired you. i marked it down. i had intended to contribute. i got to the day and saw what you and others had done. i didnt get to mine. if you’d still like me to play… i’ll return it to my todo list – hopefully near the top… and link it here.
[…] Fun. A late addition to Linda Halcomb’s Blog for the End of Spring Challenge on trees here. […]
bwahahahaha – i am so late my tree entered summer. so fun to do tho. and thank you very much Linda for the encouragement not to give up. here is my tree response to your End of Spring challenge:
fun summer on. aloha.