The painting ‘Ghost Forest” is based both on a real and an imaged forest. It is part of a body of work that explores the forest as a metaphor for human experience and provides abstracted impressions of the character, beauty and tragedy of real forests. This painting developed over a 2-year period, with intervals of rest in between the layers of paint, as the work evolved. It began as a character study of a local urban forest in Queens, NY, and during the last year the image of the forest developed to convey both a sense of loss and transformation. The twisting ghost-like trunks hover in a vibrant yet empty environment. The distant forest appears alive with layers of green vegetation.

Ghost Forest, oil painting on wood panel, 18in x 18in

The painting process

Ghost Forest was started of Sept. 2018 and the painting was completed Sept. 2021. Below is a series of images showing the process of the painting over the three years.