Here is a compilation of all 15 paintings done for my personal tree challenge. It was a great learning experience and will be useful in future paintings. There’s a new challenge right around the corner . . . stay tuned.
To see a larger version, click on the strip of paintings. Which is your favorite?
Oil Pastels by Mary 
Great work, Mary. Trees are fascinating motives, I like especially the dark ones.
Ah, glad to see so many beautiful paintings together❤️❤️❤️
Absolutely stunning! You are extremely talented, Mary. I love your seascapes,but these trees are equally enchanting.
Thank you so much for your beautiful comment and compliment, I can’t tell you how much it means to me. It’s time to create some scenes filled with trees, don’t you think? Speaking of the sea, I plan to start painting the sea again in August ~ stay tuned. Thanks again, you are so generous.
Seen all together, like this, really packs a delightful punch, Mary! What fun!
Thanks so much Leslie for your generous comments on the challenge results, makes my day!
Hi Mary, I have three favorites…sorry I can’t seem to choose just one…I like the tree at the bottom corner which is a seascape, I like the fall maple…gorgeous, and there is a full shade tree right in the middle that I really love. I imagine climbing it! Beautiful compilation. Well done!
Thank you for your generous comments, it is so appreciated! I’ve had a good response of the flaming red maple, so you aren’t alone – looking forward to painting more Fall scenes!
Marvelous Mary!.
Thanks for sharing…
Best regards and wishing you a nice weekend ahead,
Aquileana 😀
Thank you so much for your kind comments and wishes!
I LOVE your pictures, Mary! When I was thirteen, two friends and I took oil painting lessons from a wonderful teacher. For all three projects, I chose to paint trees. When I took a photography class in college, I photographed all kinds of trees in color and black and white; and when I retired from teaching and studied watercolors, again I focused on trees.
In your grouping, my favorite is the second row, middle. The lushness–very vivid.
Hi Marylin, wow thank you very much! So cool to read that trees played such an important role in your art, I can see why you concentrated on them different times throughout your career. If truth be told I could have spent months painting just trees – every one of them has a story to tell. Would love to see some of your trees – thanks again Marylin.
Wow – so many magical paintings!
Thanks very much for your wonderful comment.
I love the willow tree hanging over the pond. Fabulous! 🙂
Thank you so much Elizabeth!
Wow! Do these look impressive! Really wonderful work, Mary.
Thanks Elena, really appreciate it!
They’re all beautiful! but the maple tree is my favorite, in paintings and in real life. 🙂
Thanks Calee – I’m with you!
Wonderful collection, great achievement with stunning visuals! Each and every painting stands for itself for different values! I could not pick one really because seeing them all together for the first time looks really like a family! Gorgeous trees, thanks for the lovely journey!
Thank you so much Eva I really appreciate your comments on the challenge results – you described it so well, a journey. That’s what it was for me – a process of learning technique, application and tree form with this great medium. Thanks for sticking with the challenge.
Wonderful collection … there’s something about the last one (lower right) that captures my attention.
Thanks Frank – this was a fun challenge. I probably could have gone on with the theme for months!
Lovely work, Mary! It would be interesting to see you paint a tree as it changes through the seasons.
Hi Millie, very nice to meet you – you have a fabulous bio, btw and I’m looking forward to spending some time with your blog. Thank you for your comment and suggestion, appreciate hearing from you.
Nice to meet you too, Mary! It seems like we both have the self-taught artist thing in common. Your nature paintings are phenomenal. I look forward to spending more time on your blog as well.
Thank you Millie for the beautiful compliment!
I guess I must be going for colour. I like the little flame tree, too, and the last one, over water, Mary 🙂
Thank you Jo, I think the Fall red maple wins the challenge. Doesn’t surprise me that the Cypress is on your list too!
So many, so different, so nice! I like them all!
robert
Thank you Robert – appreciated!
The 4th one in the top strip is probably my favourite but I love looking at them altogether like this; a delightful forest.
Ah Gallivanta, I believe it was your idea to show all 15 – thank you so much! Ah, the Aspen, I’m hoping to do a few more in a future winterscape. “A delightful forest,” love that description.
🙂
Hard choice! I love them all. Four are my favorites: the fall tree (orange), the willow tree, the crepe myrtle, and the last one which could be inspired by a California coast sunset.
Thank you Evelyne for your thoughtful and generous comment! So interesting that you mentioned California Coast sunset, you were spot-on! The last painting, Cypress Tree was done from a sunset at Carmel Beach in CA – good eye Evelyne!
really great work. What I like best is that you worked with such variety.
Thank you Kimberly – wonderful to meet you. Thanks so much for visiting and commenting!
Excellent collection! My fav is the autumn colored tree. xo
Thank you Rhonda! I’m partial to the Fall red maple too!
Nice array!! All so different from each other. There can’t possibly just one favorite! Well done. 🙂
Thanks Susan, I really appreciate it!
I love the crepe myrtle. I love the windswept cyprus. I love the stately pines. Actually, I love them all and cannot choose a favorite.
Thanks Dorann, so glad you stayed with the project – appreciate your beautiful comment.
Strip 1 no link to enlarge.
My personals: strip 1 – no. 4; strip 2 – no.s 2 and 5; strip 3 – no. 2.
Thanks M.R. – could you check it again? It is now working on my end.
Still doesn’t work down here. Sorry mate …
Odd, I tried several times and thought it was fixed, and then I went into it and saw it not working as well. I’ll check on it again in the morning.
Your call. Of course. 🙂
They are all too wonderful to pick a favorite! Beautiful work. 🙂
Thanks Jackie for your lovely comment!
I’m in love with the crepe myrtle! We had an almost identical version in our front yard where I grew up…it’s as though you painted it from an old photograph. Love it!
Elisa you’ve made my day – I love crepe myrtle’s too! The one I used for the painting is in our front yard, we just trimmed it up last week, getting too wide for the area – I never tire of seeing these flowering trees. So glad you enjoyed it.
Reblogged this on Kerry C. Mitchell's Adventures and commented:
This is a wonderful collection of oil pastel trees done by Mary. In looking at it, I see that this is a wonderful way for an artist to build up their technical skills and be able to not just add a general tree to one’s work, but be able to add all kinds of specific trees. It also looks like a lot o fun.
Thank you very much Kerry, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your kindness. Means a lot – take care. I’m working on the blog hop too!
Take your time on the blog hop. Oil pastels are more important.
Way to go, Mary. You did a really good job on these trees. I can’t decide which is my favorite, they are each wonderful. Plus, you learned a lot while doing this. It is a good stone in your art foundation. I may try doing something like this to further expand myself.
Hi Kerry, thank you very much – not close to becoming an expert with painting trees (at least not until I’ve painted what 500, lol), but it was the process of learning their form and managing them with oil pastels. I’m looking forward to the next challenge.
Oh they do look gorgeous all together Mary !
Love the flame tree … and the tree encompassing the sunset …. oh and the spruce … what a marvellous personal challenge you set yourself .
New challenge ? … You are a tease 😉
Oh Poppy, you got me on this one! Thanks so much for your, ah – not able to decided (yeah, that’s a good thing), comment. I think I’ve settled on the next, soon!
like children, each is special! i don’t think i can pick a favorite! viewed as thumbnail images, the ‘spruce/7th’ stands powerful and strong and looks as if it’s waiting for christmas ornaments or for a flock of cardinals to decorate it naturally! the entire weeping willow landscape is really nice, as if we could step into the image and leave our problems behind.
problems? did i say ‘problems’???!!! we have the gift of leaving problems behind every time we step into the world of art and concentration!
z
Hey Z! Hope you are well – thank you so much for your colorful thoughts! Art does take us totally away from the present and problems, there is something to be said to absorbing the scene in front of us.
Oh, Mary, they look so beautiful all together! Such a wonderful gallery!!! 🙂
Thank you Marina – Happy Wednesday to you!
All of them are my favorites (just like when someone asks for my favorite color)…depending on the mood, the place, the time, the company….a bravura performance!
Thank you Cynthia – appreciate your artist eye!
Wonderful work Mary.
Thanks Don, much appreciated!
Beautyful! I love trees! 🙂
Thanks Eva!
The red-yellow one!! I’m in love with red trees!! They are gorgeous and so is your painting! 🙂
Hi Maria, thank you – yes, that fall maple stands out. Thanks!