Mathews’ Oak | 12×16 | Oil on Linen Panel

Inspiration for Mathews’ Oak

A workshop demo about “painting from digital sources,” Mathews’ Oak once again depicts my favorite catfish-farm-become-soybean farm. Dappled sunlight on natural surfaces like bark and fallen leaves provides a lot of leeway to play with color. Look closely and carefully to see the subtle rainbow inside this piece. Trees are almost never simply “brown,” just as leaves are almost never “green.” Slow down and really observe nature around you: how many hues can you find in just one tree?