Each tree even in nature is very different. As an artist I have found myself just looking at trees, the way the branches are some times gnarly and and very asymmetrical. Some branches are straight and evenly dispersed, the hues of the bark offering the eye textures. I also thought about, what kind of tree would be meaningful to her. Over the last year we have talked together about her love of nature, wildlife and the time she and her husband spend hiking, horseback riding and enjoying the outside.
So I decided to paint her a maple tree just after the leaves have fallen off it and the cardinals are enjoying the cold. She asked me to add the date of their wedding to the tree as well. This is the painting I completed for her.
The 'Guest Tree' I painted for my wedding was a conifer tree. Conifer trees are classified as any tree that bares cones and has needles. The size and type of painting is created for each of us are very different. The one I created for my wedding I knew I wanted to hang in a specific area of my house and that I wanted it to be a larger size to accommodate that wall. Hers I made a bit smaller so she had more options as to where to hang it. I still have to take mine for framing but almost all the guests at our wedding remembered to sign it.
I Enjoy painting these signature trees, there are endless possibilities and total creative freedom as far as the tree goes. For weddings I think it is just a much more practical options instead of a guest book that is going to be tucked away into a closet and sit for years. Why not make it a work of art and every time friends come over they can see their signature displayed in a piece of art.
