I have painted many times at Henry Cowell Redwood State park in Felton, California. Each time I go I am reminded that many of the old trees have been there since the time of Christ. Sequoia Redwoods are the tallest trees in the world. As I have stated in earlier Blog post (see Davenport Cypress Grove and Tree Symbolism) Trees and forests have been prominent in myth and symbol. Trees reach up into the heavens where in many early civilizations it was thought that the Gods lived. Below the earth was thought to exist the underworld or dark beings and condemned souls. Because trees reach into the sky and then have roots deep into the earth, they have often been seen as a bridge between the spiritual worlds. The fact that the Redwoods are so old and so tall they seem to represent the ultimate connection between the heavens and the underworld.
This overpowering symbolism turns these sacred trees into what is known as an Axis Mundi. An Axis Mundi is a centering device used by many tribal peoples to be a connecting rod with the divine. This is why an Axis Mundi creates sacred space. (You can read more about Axis Mundi's and Sacred Space in my Sacred Space For Artists) I learned from a botanist that redwood trees also give off a euphoria creating chemical into the air. You can certainly feel it while you stand for long periods of time painting one.
I hope you get the chance to paint or go to a redwood forest. These trees are filled with deep symbolic meaning and you can feel it when you let yourself be quiet in their presence.