I am working on a few oil paintings currently.  Three of them are of the three Archangels: Saint Michael, Saint Raphael, and Saint Gabriel.  I have done underpaintings in black and white acrylics (see photo below), and am now working over the acrylic in oils.


                                                           

When I went to college for a horticulture degree, one of the projects that had to be completed was to make a book or binder that identified 500 different types of trees.  My diploma is in Ornamental Horticulture and the curriculum was heavy with landscaping, as well as growing, information.  My favorite tree personally is the White pine, Pinus strobus.

Living on Cape Cod, I am surrounded by Pinus rigida, or Scrub pine.  They are subject to boring hole beetles, are very rustic looking, and are somewhat scrubby-looking next to an elegant White pine, which also grows here.  I grew a White pine in a large tub for about 12 years, and then two years ago, had to plant it in the ground so that it could grow to its potential.  It is my "birthday tree" and Christmas tree, in my back yard.

Knowing I may be moving, I am somewhat heartbroken over leaving my tree behind.  I have purchased 50 White pine seedlings to grow on in pots until they are large enough to plant in the ground.  I will be drawing different aspects of this tree, but I have also started working in oils again, in order to capture the spirit of the tree, without all of the detail.

Below is one description of the history of this tree:


"The Eastern White Pine tree has been referred to as "the monarch of the forest." Some that greeted the first settlers reached a height of 250 feet with diameters of 6 feet. They were a bonanza for England in colonial times, as they met a vital military and commercial need for sailing ship masts. Since the colonists were rapidly using up the existing supply of trees close to the ocean that were large enough for masts, the Royal Navy appealed to Parliament. As a result, in 1691 Great Britain imposed the first of the so-called "broad arrow" acts, so named because of the axe mark placed on the reserved trees by the king's men, that reserved these trees for the English government. Growing resentment to the crown's appropriation of the choicest White Pines helped precipitate the Revolutionary War, and the first flag of the revolutionary forces even had a White Pine as its emblem." (from ebay seller drillstore nursery)


and another view of its history:

"The White pine , known by the native Americans as the Tree of peace and sometimes called the monarch of the forest , is a fast grower , and can reach up to 80- 100 ft at maturity . Because of the ease of transplanting , they are the ideal tree  for lanscaping or windbreaks as well as privacy fences or barriers . They are the tree of choice for bald eagles and many other forms of birds and wildlife . They are great for white tail deer, turkeys and the black bear .They grow best in partial sun to full shade .
 They are also friendly to other trees and shrubs , which allows for placing other shrubs  and  plants under them . They are frequently used as christmas trees . They can be pruned and shaped to grow as wider trees or can be allowed to grow freely . They have small yellowish cones as flowers and are evergreen , providing a beautiful tree all year long . " (from ebay seller icando3d, seller of the trees I purchased)

I have even designed a new logo for myself with the tree as a main design element.  I will be posting photos soon.