Camouflage Trunk

Does this look like a soldier's uniform or what?
No, this tree is not at war, but it is a young American Sycamore tree. I love the beautiful spots in different contrasts and different colors. These spots eventually peal back and fall away, reveling a beautiful smooth white trunk.

Let's Learn about the American Sycamore:

• Lives on the Central to Eastern side of the U.S.
• Massive fast growing tree can reach 100 feet.
• Leaf resembles a maple leaf.
• Bark looks like tan camouflage.
• Likes moist soil and by streams (where I found mine).
• Fruits are in the shape of round hanging 2" balls "buttonballs"

I did find some buttonballs on the ground and just a few still on the twigs at the top. The ones on the ground were very ripe and fell apart releasing thousands of little fuzzy things and made my fingers turn slightly orange. No matter, it's all in the name of nature discoveries!
I really enjoy this tree and cannot wait to see some leaves on it!

Still Holding On

Who loves nature?
We do! We do!

This is a picture I took at Tinley Creek Woods when it was much warmer and the snow had melted. What did I love about this scene? Many things:

First, this picture was taken this January, notice all the trees in the background have lost their leaves. This little guy held on to his. I stood there and thought about all the wind storms that came through this winter and I'm pretty impressed with the tree's strength, especially because he's standing in an open field all alone. Perhaps it is because of his youth that he is able to hang on or maybe the background forest is his shield, a row of soldiers. Maybe the forest is looking out for this little guy? The tree probably is still holding on to it's leaves because that's just the nature of an oak tree (boring), but it's much more fun to think of all other possibilities. I'm sure there's a life lesson in here somewhere.

Secondly, the detail in the trunk made me say, "Ooooo." I love it's "arms" reaching out near the bottom, searching for all possibilities in life.

Thirdly, warm colors in the dead of winter rock! My interpretation exaggerates this feature...I'm just whipping out my artistic license here.

Here is my translation of what was actually there. My main goal was to keep this little guy the focal point and not get him lost with a busy background, notice the blue forest (represents distance) and is shorter that actual photo.
I had a super difficult time attempting to draw any trees in the background, it was just shades of blue. I really thought I was going to ruin it by painting trees. Gary, who is a wonderful teacher, challenged me and said, "Do you always want to be stuck at this level?"
WOW, no I don't...growth is good!
Gary taught me to turn the painting upside down and get loose with the background. Dandy! It worked!

This pastel took a total of 5 hours to complete over a period of 2 days. It will be made available in a few days at www.christinekaneart.com

Hope you enjoyed!

After the Storm

Here is the beautiful evidence of a last night's magical winter storm. ohhhh.....ahhhh. This photo was taken at 8:30am, by 4:00pm all of the snow on this shrub melted. Why does it have to go away so soon?
I was happy to wake up to a winter wonderland. Don't you love it when you go to sleep and wake up to a different world? One of the things about the morning after a snow storm is how the snow lands on every branch and every twig. Just amazing! Enjoy it in the morning because by noon it's probably half melted.


And that's exactly what I tried to do. This picture was taken at 45mph with the "sports" setting set on my camera so it wouldn't be a blur. Don't worry, I'm facing the road watching traffic, but blindly taking pictures with my camera. If you take about ten of them, one is surely to be a gem without being crooked. Do not try this at home if you're a 10 and 2 driver!


This is an inverted image of the one before. I love it. Winter is just the perfect time to make one of these. I suggest everyone experiment with invertedness. Photoshop makes it easy, after you open your image go to image> adjust> invert. Piece of cake. If you don't have photoshop, I'm sure any Walgreen's can do it for you.
Have fun!

Autumn Tree with Nest

I absolutely love when autumn trees look like this. I made my poor cousin take this picture from her phone before work one day.
I saw a million reasons right away, why I had to have this one on "film". I knew when driving by that I wanted to paint this tree someday because I fell in love with the way all it's leaves have dropped right below itself, I fell in love with the way the top is bare and the lower branches are clinging on to leaves yet, I feel in love with the yellow color and I also fell in love with the November sky behind it. This morning was a typical November morning with a little drizzle, with clouds meaner than they really are, and cool temperatures. My favorite.
Do you know what else attracted me to this tree? The fact that it looks like all the autumn trees Charles Schulz painted in his "Peanuts" cartoons! My all time favorite cartoon.


In my interpretation, the top of the tree has a nest exposed remember the post on exposed tree nests?
I had to give it one even though this tree really didn't have a nest. I pulled out my artistic license right here! This painting is also an action shot, see the leaf falling from the tree? LOL.

Any who, I'm please at how this watercolor turned out, not overworked at all, just the right amount of paint and light. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and a lot of turkey leftovers!

For more info on how to purchase this painting click here.

Hey, What's Up That Tree?

Here I am, trying to fit inside this tree. I could have done it if I tried, ha, ha, ha. This beautiful tree is located at Spears Woods, part of the Palos Trail System
Sunday was the perfect day for an autumn hike, not too warm, not too cold, although it was a little breezy. Well, not even one minute into the trail did I spot this neat hide-a-way for animals and weird nature enthusiasts. I wonder what animals take shelter at night in this very tree? Here is a close up....


Doesn't it look like this tree has steps which lead upstairs? Only if I were that small, even for a moment! Doing the next best thing, I stuck my hand up the tree, turned my flash on and took this amazing picture....


Isn't it just the neatest!!! I get so excited just looking at it! Doesn't it look like the mouth of a cave? Now, if a bat flew out of here as I was taking this picture I probably would have had a coronary right on the spot. I'm happy I didn't disturb some poor creature, minding his own business in his home. When I got home I did zoom in to look at every inch up close like, in hopes of finding a spider or something, but I can only find a web and some fungus, I think. See in the center? That's not daylight, this was an incredibly large tree with many leaves on it, not completely dead. I think the center is white fungus. Any who, I just love this picture and now I'm on a mission to photograph every tree gut I can find!
Does anyone know what types of animals like to hide in tree hallows like this???

Hackberry Close Up

This is the bark of a mature hackberry tree, isn't it beautiful? Doesn't the close up remind you of canyons and valleys? The ridges are very deep and I just love the pattern it created. Caterpillars have been known to set up shop in these crevices for their transformations. How cool!
Once again, I think this picture would make a great abstract painting, go ahead abstract painters, you can use this picture for inspiration.


Here I tried to show the depth by placing my finger in the crevice of the bark. It's deep. Now, young hackberry trees have smooth grey-brown bark, so if you see these ridges, you know it's a mature tree.

Let's Learn About the Hackberry Tree:

Grows 30-40 feet tall.
Leaves are 2.5-4 inches long, with toothed edges and pointed top.
Dark red to purple fruits ripen in autumn.
Birds love the fruit.
Part of the Elm Family.
Where in the US? North Central to North Eastern states.

Hawk Action!

Holy smokes did I have hawk action this morning! Can you see him sitting in this tree? (This is the walnut tree that has been prematurely loosing it's leaves in August.)
It all started when I noticed I had absolutely no birds around. None. Now that's strange because my neighbor and myself have several feeders out in the joining yards and we have birds constantly. So when everything was silent and I didn't even hear any, I though it was strange, but oh well, I'll live.

Just then, at 6:55am, I saw the biggest hawk I've ever seen, swoop down and try to get a squirrel. WOOOOH. When he didn't have success he flew around my neighbor's house and was chased by hawk #2. WEEEEEE! Two ginormous raptors playing catch in our yard! They flew up, soared down, twisted, turned, and rested in a tree. I must have looked like a big dummy with my mouth hanging open standing at the window in my PJ's.

Remember when I told you my neighbor feeds the squirrels? Well he left several nuts on his red picnic table where the feast was on, however, this became the hawk's bulls eye target! Stupid squirrels. Now I don't like when they mess with my flowerbeds, but the whole time I'm saying, "Your gunna get it squirrels, your gunna get it. Be smart like the birds and hide!" as if to warn them. I really didn't want bloodshed, even though I know it's a part of life. Well those guys are really quick and every attempt on the hawks part failed and he looked exhausted. Now I felt bad for the hawk.

A minute later, stupid squirrel was walking the telephone tight rope, when Hawk #1 went for him. Now enters Hawk #2 for the same squirrel. I thought, Oh this is it, this is how he's going down. BUT NO! Smart squirrel now flips upside down on the wire and monkeys his way to safety, reaching the telephone pole. The hawks disappear and the squirrel flicks his tail angrily as if to say, "How dare you try to eat me!"

35 minutes later all birds return: sparrows, male and female woodpecker, starlings, morning doves, grackles too. The birds are happy, the squirrels are happy and the hawks go hungry, for now anyway.