Flashback: Camp Sacramento 2012

"Sequoia semperviren, Giant Redwood" by Rita Alvarez

"Sequoia semperviren, Giant Redwood" a drawing I created last year was a challenge layered with trail magic! My cousin who's more like a sister, invited me to what is known as Camp Sacramento in Twin Bridges, California. I've heard some of the camp stories before and thought I couldn't go wrong. We practiced archery, napping and of course art! I walked down to the creek thinking I would draw a study of the water. As I sat on the bank I realized, I sat under a beautiful old Redwood tree. The texture and design quality of the root system embracing the young pine tree captured my eye! I focused on my subject and let it capture me. I say "captured" because it "took me". Visual imagery has a strong impact on me. Except for the readjustment of my cushion, as I constantly slid down the hill, I hardly stopped til I was done creating.

Later that evening while sipping on a beer, cousin Stacey massaged my overworked drawing hand; I told her about the happy surprise finding the huge old tree and how I attentively noticed it embracing a small sapling. I thought I was pretty crafty at the time because I just went with the flow and allowed the magic to happen. When I got home and decided to frame my gnarly tree is when the real trail magic happened. Out jumped an old woman's face. She is at 3/4 profile facing to the right. The dark area above the sapling is her right eye, the dark area to the right of the sapling is her mouth with a long narrow pointy nose above. Now I can't help but see an old crone magically caring for a little one.  Can you see her?

For information on how to own this unique piece of artwork please contact the artist, Rita Alvarez.

                                                                                        Thank you