Bald Cypress
I enjoy painting the bald cypress trees of Florida. They have their unique knees that come up from the earth. Some of the knees of this tree were mostly covered by water but a few protruded above the waterline around the base. The wide base made it a perfect perch for this Anhinga or; or Snake-Bird, to dry out its wings. This tree sits out in the open in Lake Maitland. I have passed by it, painted it and photographed it many times. I find it a tempting subject to paint because it is out in the open rather than crowded by other trees. The trunk is twisted and gnarled rather than straight like most other cypress trees. During the holidays there are actually Christmas ornaments hanging from this tree.