Sunday, August 10, 2008

Palm Trunk

When a palm sheds its fronds, the trunk forms a pattern that looks almost as if it has been braided. Look closer and you see so many textures: hairy fibers, gracefully curving quill-like parts, rusty splotches, and such beautiful, subtle shading. I could work for a long time with just this one photo as my inspiration. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the big picture, whether it is the complexities of a tree or of life. Sometimes it is enough to start with the small details right in front of us.