Beneath the Ember Canopy

About this piece

Seen from beneath, the tree’s substantial trunk and spreading limbs frame a dense canopy of red blossoms and finely divided leaves. Sunlight breaks through near the lower left, illuminating the foliage in yellow-green tones and setting the textured bark against small openings of blue sky.

The story

I looked up and found the sky divided into small blue windows. Above me, the branches spread in every direction, their weight offset by the delicate leaves and bright red flowers. I framed the broad limb across the foreground, letting it anchor the abundance overhead. With the sun just slipping through the foliage, the canopy seemed to hold both shade and fire—a place to stand still while the eye kept wandering.