a very old Montezuma cypress
Monte, a 900+ year-old Montezuma Cypress, is a beautiful, ancient relic from a time when Cypress were common along the banks of the Rio Grande River. I first learned about this tree when there was concern that it would have to be cut down to make room for the border wall. I trekked out to visit this tree in Abram, Texas and returned many times over several years to study, draw, and enjoy being in its presence.
Drawing on studies and photographs that blended my perspectives from up close- capturing details of the trunk- to the more distant views that give shape to the outer branches, I painted three large versions. The first was an acrylic on plywood and joined other community artists as part of Ron English’s border wall art instillation at the highly politicized National Butterfly Center. The second iteration was a graphite on paper tryptic for the San Benito Cultural Heritage Center. This 15-foot-tall version on paper curled at the top and bottom like a scroll, a reference to time, ever changing and impermanent. The final iteration painted in 2022, is a 10 foot by 12 foot tryptic, oil on linen.
Drawing on studies and photographs that blended my perspectives from up close- capturing details of the trunk- to the more distant views that give shape to the outer branches, I painted three large versions. The first was an acrylic on plywood and joined other community artists as part of Ron English’s border wall art instillation at the highly politicized National Butterfly Center. The second iteration was a graphite on paper tryptic for the San Benito Cultural Heritage Center. This 15-foot-tall version on paper curled at the top and bottom like a scroll, a reference to time, ever changing and impermanent. The final iteration painted in 2022, is a 10 foot by 12 foot tryptic, oil on linen.
Monte
2022
(3) 48" x 120" panels
Oil on Linen
Commissioned
Oil on Linen
Commissioned
Sacred Wisdom
2019
144 in x 161 in
Graphite and Charcoal on Watercolor Paper
Graphite and Charcoal on Watercolor Paper
Welcome Wall- National Butterfly Center
2019
(3) 4' x 8' ea
Acrylic on Plywood
Acrylic on Plywood