When I was 12 or so, I lived near this tree.  I visited it every day and I loved it for the sense of belonging it gave me.  Then, one day, the forest around this tree was mowed down to make room for a neighborhood.  My tree ended up behind someone’s house with all its lower limbs hacked off.  To my mind, this story pretty much sums up adolescence…!

For more about the making of this painting, visit this article on my blog.