Not quite a landscape

Most of this tree’s bark didn’t look like this; mostly it was smoother, more uniform. But where the tree branched out in several directions, in the crotch of its several slender trunks, that’s where this image came from.

I could speculate about what caused the yellow fungus (or is lichen?) and what looked like severed, over-grown stubs of branches. But I’m not a scientist and my speculations would be closer to science fiction.

I see this from a different perspective. For me, with artist eyes, this image has a geographic, perhaps geologic feel to it. If I relax my eyes, my focus, this becomes a topographic map of some uncharted highlands at some non-specific distance.

Yes, that’s imaginary. And if you were to search for this tree, you might not see what I have made here. But the adventure of looking is what’s important to me. I want to find the magic in the bark, whether anyone else can see it or not. And to share it…