Windswept Limber Pine

I used Soft Pastel on Uart sanded pastel paper with a series of photos as reference. The Limber Pine is definitely one of my favorite trees and this particular one caught my eye as I was running down our dirt road one day, its striking gnarled features standing out against the horizon line with the late autumnal afternoon sun casting long shadows for added intensity. It's chosen a challenging home of a very exposed, windswept and rocky ridge line with a commanding view of the valley below and mountains beyond. Its trunk is twisted and bent dramatically as it is shaped by the elements that hammer relentlessly at it. This is a tribute to one of the great five needle pine trees.