The Story behind the "Dark Cherry Tree"
This painting was based on Dan Delsbey's photo from Tully, NY. His picture was selected as one of the eight winning photos for the Best Onondaga County Tree Photo Challenge, an interactive art project funded by CNY Arts..
This week I will highlight the story of Dan Elsbey, one of the eight winners of the Best Onondaga County Tree Photo Challenge, an interactive art project that asked Onondaga County residents to go into nature, find the most beautiful trees in our county, and send their suggestions to me with a photo.
I asked Dan to share with us who he is, what he does for a living, what are some of his hobbies, why was he compelled to photograph these scene, if he knew what type of tree it is and how did he found out about this challenge. Here it's his response:
Dan Elsbey
1. Dan Elsbey, age 69, Live in Town of Camillus, retired, Hobbies include - painting, drawing portraits (better portrait drawer than painter), Gardening and walking the Erie Canal when it's nice.
2. Why I chose this tree - Some of the branches are inches from the ground, very unusual the way it grew.
3. The photos were taken in the Springtime just after the leaves came out
4. The exact location of the tree is Juniper Lane in the Town of Camillus.
5. This tree is a Black Cherry Tree. When the housing tract was built back in 1957, this is one of the original trees from the Terry farm the builders left standing. As a youth, I climbed this tree. The Black Cherry tree is estimated at over 160 years old and has seen its better days. Dead branches have been cut and wires installed to protect it from high winds.
6. I found out about the challenge from an article in the Post Standard. I knew the black cherry tree would be a natural because of the low hanging branches and unique shape of the tree.
The making of 'Dark Cherry Tree'
Below you will see, step by step, the development of this acrylic painting.
What I found charming about Dan Elsbey's tree was its unique shape and the feeling that you are looking at a majestic old tree. This is the 3rd painting I started in 2014 and I gave this piece a different feeling by adding varying layers of yellow hues at the end.
The Dark Cherry Tree is a 24x24x1.5" acrylic on canvas that I painted in July and August and finished in December, 2014.
The Story behind the 'Magnolia Tree'
This week I will highlight the story of Deborah Goemans, one of the eight winners of the Best Onondaga County Tree Photo Challenge, an interactive art project that asked Onondaga County residents to go into nature, find the most beautiful trees in our county, and send their suggestions to me with a photo.
Writer, Deborah Goemans.
1. Describe yourself: name, age, location, what do you do for a living and what are some of your hobbies? I am Deborah June Goemans, a writer and editor living in Tully. My age is over twenty-one J and I love to dance and eat and travel to my native South Africa as often as I can.
2. Why did you choose to photograph this particular tree/ trees? I loved how the blossoms looked like a natural bridal bouquet.
3. What time of the year was it? This picture was taken in spring.
4. What is the exact location of this tree? It is in my garden in Tully, New York.
5. Do you know the type of tree you have captured? Does this tree have a particular meaning to you? This magnolia tree is special for my family. It was planted before we moved into the house but it was like my girls—still young when we moved in. It has grown with them and now that they have moved on to their own lives, it remains, a beautiful symbol of their childhood.
6. How did you find out about this challenge? I love this artist’s work, and I follow her on Facebook.
The making of 'Magnolia Tree'
Below you will see the development of this painting, step by step, and how my social media followers played a big part on the final result of this acrylic painting.
I really liked the red on the background but it looked unfinished that way. I thought about covering all the red and just create a copy of the photo (boring, right?) or saving the red, somehow, therefore, creating a more surrealist and dreamy piece.
So I asked my faithful friends and fans on facebook what they thought I should do. I received many responses and they all had the same answer: KEEP THE RED. So, I did.
I left my perfectionist and joyless way of approaching a painting to embrace a looser and more enjoyable style. Instead of copying exactly the photo, I listened to my gut, allowing this painting to take a distinctive direction. Don't you agree?
Magnolia Tree a 24x18x1.5" acrylic on canvas by Maria Rizzo.
The Story behind 'Trees on Franklin'
Plume Street, Syracuse, NY by Ray Trudell.
This week I will highlight the story of one the eight winners of the Best Onondaga County Tree Photo Challenge, an Interactive art project that asked Onondaga County residents to go into nature, find the most beautiful trees in our county, and send their suggestions to me with a photo.
I asked Ray Trudell to share with us who he is, what he does for a living, what are some of his hobbies, why was he compelled to photograph these scene, if he knew what type of trees they are and how did he found out about this challenge. Here it's his response:
"I’m 60 years old and live in Solvay now, however I have lived in Central New York all my life. I work in a paper plant on the corrugator that produces corrugated boxes. My hobbies are photography, reading, and writing poetry to go with some of my photographs. When I retire I hope to do more in the arts. This photograph happens to be an old favorite of mine that was taken in Franklin Square. The street is Plume St. and was on a Sunday morning just after a snow storm in February. While having coffee at Freedom of Expresso I was asked if I had my camera with me because the snow looked so beautiful. That’s when I went out and shot the picture. I know that two of the trees are Marigold, but I’m not sure what the trees are that line the street. I know that they have beautiful flowers in the spring and that the leaves are the last to fall in the autumn. I seen a posting on facebook and thought that this would be a very nice thing to be a part of."
- Ray Trudell
The making of 'Trees on Franklin'
What I found striking about Ray Trudell's photo was the unbelievable beauty of the tree in the foreground and its dancing shape against a spectacular urban winter wonderland's background. This is the very 1st painting I started in 2014 for the Best Onondaga County Tree Photo Challenge and probably the most difficult to paint due to the amount of details and me being a perfectionist... which is a curse, really! I'm glad I took my time with this piece and I hope you do enjoy it, too. Trees on Franklin is a 24x30x1.5" acrylic on canvas that I painted in April and May and finished in December, 2014.
Order this limited edition print online at https://squareup.com/market/maria-rizzo-art
This project is made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by CNY Arts.
~ Maria Rizzo
Community Symbolic Tree
The second element of my art project was to serve as the artistic director of a Symbolic Tree painted by residents of our community that depicted the creative vision of Onondaga County. My goal was to promote harmony and a feeling of identity and purpose among the members of our community, as well as to share the right techniques on how to successfully execute a painting.
Each Saturday for six months starting in April, I set up the canvas in the participating libraries throughout Onondaga County (SEE BELOW FOR A LIST OF LIBRARIES, DATES AND TIMES) and invited its residents to sign up to participate in the painting process by contacting me via email.
My very last stop was at the Petit Branch Library at 105 Victoria Pl in Syracuse, NY on Saturday, November 1 from 11.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. and the last two Onondaga county residents putting their creative energies into the Symbolic Tree were artist and program manager at NorthSide UP, Stasya Erickson and nurse, Lynne Odell.
What's going to happen to this piece now?
I will add the final details to complete the painting.
The Symbolical Tree and the Onondaga County tree paintings will be shown together in an art exhibition at the Onondaga Free Library, 4840 West Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse, New York 13215, and it will run from Saturday, March 14 to Tuesday, March 31. The opening reception will take place on Saturday, March 14th 2015, from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m..
Many exiting things will happen during the opening reception. The eight winning contestants of the Best Onondaga County Tree Photo Challenge will receive the 1st limited edition print of the painting based on their photo, the community Symbolical Tree will be unveiled and donated to the library hosting this exhibition, and Tom Howards, a member of the Native Tree Society (NTS), will give a short presentation about our Onondaga county trees!
Save the date, I hope to see you there!
MARIA RIZZO
Trees, Lands & Dreams | Art Blogger #theartistspath | Art Educator | From Italy 🇮🇹🇺🇸 |