Mark Hobson (Prints)

The title refers to the lone Sitka Spruce tree that has somehow grown to maturity against all odds. I did a preliminary watercolour of this same tree a few years ago and was eager to do an acrylic version. The scene is the view from the Black Rock Resort in Ucluelet, B.C. located on the exposed western shores of Vancouver Island. I was excited by the big seas after a storm in March. The layers of sea spray hanging between the rocky outcrops looked like an interesting challenge in painting aerial perspective. I was originally going to paint in layers of grey as it was the day I got the initial inspiration but the warmer tones seemed much more interesting and gave the scene a more uplifting feeling.