There is an old eucalyptus tree at the Arboretum in Santa Cruz that I have painted several times. I have been trying to figure out why I love this tree so much. I can feel that trees have become sacred to me. There’s something about just remaining stationary and watching life take place around you. The trees respond to the events around them and reflect the interactions of humans and what is happening in the environment. As you know, they can live to be very old, like a redwood, whose life vastly eclipses the length of my life span and yours too.
My tip for drawing and painting trees is to imaging that your hands are touching the branches as you work. This way you can feel some of their history. You will discover things you never noticed before. You will see that these living creatures speak to you in wonderful symbolic ways. Some of what you feel comes out in your drawing and painting.
So why do I love this tree so much? One thing that intrigues me as an artist, is just the sheer joy of the branches as they undulate up into the sky. The shapes themselves are very beautiful with smooth areas and some hanging bark that gives off violet and gray tones that change with the movement of the sun. Another reason is that trees are symbolic of communication to the heavens and the underworld because of their branches and roots. What are they saying as they communicate with the gods?