Progress on Chinese Elm Portrait

This painting of a beloved chinese elm created by Nick Lenz has been such a fun tree to paint. The exfoliating bark was what originally attracted me to this particular subject. I also chose this tree because it recently reached the end of its lifespan, so I was happy to be able to bring it back to life on my canvas. I reached for some bright colors I don’t usually get to use for my bonsai portraits. I took some creative liberties in adding more color and more sections in the bark, but I couldn’t help myself! It was such a blast to paint and I hope I can do more chinese elms in the future. This original will be for sale soon once it’s been framed and varnished!