Pacific Northwest Landscapes · vertical

Still Standing, Charred Stump and Spring Aspens

A tall, hollowed and splintered tree stump stands in a grassy clearing, its surface charred black in places and bleached silver-gray in others. Thick roots spread across dry grass at its base. Behind it, young green aspens and a dirt track recede into a soft spring landscape, with a hint of mountain at the top right.

A burnt, split stump is an unusual hero for a wall. Most tree pictures show a whole tree or a forest. This one fills a tall frame with a single hollowed trunk, so the eye goes straight to the black alligator-pattern char, the silver-gray weathered wood and the rust-orange patches. Set against soft spring green, it reads like a sculpture standing in a clearing. It suits someone who wants a nature picture with weight and texture instead of a pleasant, forgettable view.

Artwork by Omaste Witkowski