Painting New Orleans Blog

Hi Everyone,

I have embarked on a new series of paintings that I want to share with you.  In south Louisiana we have swamps filled with bald cypress trees which go on for miles and miles.  I get many requests to paint them but I've not given them my full attention until now.

 "Cypress Morning Sunlight" 16" x 20" $295 (This is the first one in the series)

I have always loved the drama of how the bald cypresses bulging wide trunk tapers to its slender middle, and how this is accentuated by the reddish undertone.  I struggled to find my own unique take on these distinctive trees, which loom so large in the Louisiana landscape.  What I recently discovered is that as long as your drawing of the tree is clear and well-constructed, you can exaggerate the color, going well beyond a realistic representation to achieve a more dreamlike landscape.

"Deep Red Cypress" 16" x 20" $295 

One of the fun things about starting a new series of paintings is learning about your subject. I discovered that the bald cypress is the state tree of Louisiana even though they can be found as far north as Ottawa Canada.  These trees can live well over 1,000 years. Really!  One of the oldest was called the “Senator” in Longwood Florida near Orlando.  This tree was estimated to be 3,500 years old and was the tallest east of the Mississippi.  Unfortunately the “Senator” was destroyed in 2012 in a fire accidentally lit by someone smoking inside the tree.  The culprit later stated, "I can't believe I burned down a tree older than Jesus,”

"Cypress Luminance" 16" x 20" $295

So remember that only you can prevent forest fires  and keep an eye out for new paintings of Bald Cypress Trees. They are a lot of fun to paint. I will be displaying them in person at the Red River Revel in Shreveport from this Friday September 29^th to Tuesday October 3^rd.

"Path through the Cypress" 16" x 20" $295

"Flash of Sunlight in the Swamp" 30" x 40" $995

Thanks For Reading!

Adam K. Hall