I’m working now with inspiratons from tonalist artist Charles Warren Eaton, often known as “the pine tree painter”. Today’s painting — the 12th in my series of 31 — does indeed feature pine trees. I cropped the view a bit since I was painting on the vertical, and index cards don’t correspond to the usual sizes and proportions of canvases. As I always do, I tried to capture the “essential elements” of the painting — the tall pines and one tall, bare tree, and a scene with a lake and distant hills in the background.

Here is my painting:

When I first finished it and stepped back to view it, I hated it. I hated the colors. I hated the trees. I hated those hills in the background. I shook my head in dismay and hoped for a better painting the following day.

Later, I looked at my Pine Trees…