Adding Pokeweed

The painting on the right in this photo is called Three Sisters In The Pale Moonlight.  It contains the August full moon which is when the moon is the closest to the earth I am told.  Everything else in the painting is Ohio related.  The sunflower, Buckeye tree, yucca plant, sage, and of course the three sisters (corn, bean, squash).  The clay jar is the color of Ohio Clay when fired.  This painting will take awhile as I am not sure what all will end up within the borders.  Yesterday, I added pokeweed which is a plant that is plentiful right now, but poisonous.  I am told that the berry of the pokeweed was used to sign the Declaration Of Independence.  Native Americans used it to dye their baskets.  Using a living plant is always better than trying to use a photo.  It is important that I not expose my art students to unnecessary poisons.  Most commercial art supplies are in fact poison, so it is an ongoing challenge.

The painting in progress on the left is an autumn painting.  This spring I found my favorite local tree and have periodically snapped pictures of it as it progresses.  I needed to see its framework, without leaves, that I added yesterday.  A week ago the tree looked like this.

It wont be long till I can see what this giant is like in fall splendor.  There are no trespassing signs near the site, so I dare not push my luck and try to get any closer.  I love this tree, and I hope the tree destroyers stay away from it.  I suspect it has been here since the birth of Newark, maybe even longer.  Not many of those trees left, and I am honored to put this one in one of my paintings.