Oil paint on canvas, 18x22"
Purple Tree
“The Purple Tree” is the first dreamscape in the "Walks at Midnight" collection. The bright colors and hazy textures are intended to reflect the vague and static atmosphere of a dream. The theme of the collection examins dreams their connection to the subconcious mind.
The subject of this tree is unique because of its purple tone, but also as it inhabits its color plane alone. The off-centered placement of the tree emphasizes its singularity or lack of belonging. To reiterate this, the tree isn’t planted in the ground but rather floats on top of the green plane.
As the first piece created for this collection, “The Purple Tree” displays the fundamental forms that appear in all the pieces. Diagonal lines, an unfinished sky, the use of bold colors, and contrast between a realistically rendered subject with an enigmatic background are foundational to every piece.
Like the concept for this piece, which is the sensation of not belonging, most of the paintings reflect personal psychological beliefs that were once held. However, there are symbols of hope scattered throughout each painting to show the journey of growth from those old beliefs.