That afternoon I struggled with each shallow breath as the altitude continued to increase. 10,100 feet was new for me, never having been to such a high altitude, I was shocked by the effort it took for me to hike. There was only one goal for that day and that was to see the bristlecone pines, a type of tree only able to thrive above timber line. I was face to face with a living artifact. Amazed by the resemblance of a bonsai tree, my eyes followed each contour of the aged bark. With every curve came a new shade of wood. The caramel brown tones bleed into ashy gray, everything was sprinkled with drops of lime green lichen that seemed to decorated the surface of the bark. I was inspired by the effortless movement found in traditional East Asian paintings. I also added hints of gold to emphasis said movement and the magical experience of witnessing bristlecone pine trees.
Medium: Tempera paint, gold sticker paper
Dimensions: 22" x 30"
Date Completed: September, 2023