I love Birch trees. They have always been my favorite tree for as long as I can remember. Growing up we had a birch tree in our front yard. I loved its papery bark and the contrast between the white and black. I loved its seeds that look like little green worms.

The tree in front of our house had the misfortune of being struck by lightning a couple times and was taken down, only to come up as a cluster of birches. Just such a cool tree. I once took a couple rolls worth of 110 film taking pictures of my cabbage patch kid in various poses in the tree. My father was not amused when he picked up the developed film, and I was banned from photographing my doll.

My painting today isn’t of this particular birch, but rather ones from my imagination. Birch trees are another of my go-to inspirations for when I’m not sure what to paint. Along with pears, I have painted them enough that I don’t need a photo reference or live object to paint these subjects. I hope to one day have a pretty large repertoire of things I can paint from remembers images and imaginings.

Do you have subjects you’ve depicted enough that you no longer use references when you paint them?