Gunnison Tree

Gunnison Tree is a large-scale immersive landscape that comments on the magnitude and scale of earth’s natural features. A large tree bathed in sunlight reaches up towards the light, as the lush green forest around peacefully rests in the same warm light. This work of art uses my own reference image from The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, a National Park located in Gunnison Colorado. The hike down into the Canyon is difficult, and only completed by around 5 people a day due to the need for a black country pass, leaving the space in the canyon full of untouched beauty. In this work, I used distance and scale to create a larger than life feel for my tree, which seems to stretch far beyond the canyon behind. Nature often has a way of making us feel small, and I wanted to capture that feeling in this work. By using such a large canvas, the viewer is provided an opportunity to experience the true vastness of our earth and, even if just for a moment, lose themselves in the beauty of the forest.