Savannah Inspiration

I think that I shall never see

a poem as lovely as a tree ... 

JOYCE KILMER

SOLD

Sunny Oaks  © Karen Mathison Schmidt

6 x 6 inches • oil on ⅛" Museum Series (archival) GessobordTM

private collection • Salem, Oregon

Last month I was in Savannah, Georgia, teaching a couple of workshops, and in between the two I had the weekend free. Sunday afternoon I was kicking back in the living room with a glass of iced tea and a book, when my hostess with the mostest (hey, Sue!) breezes through the room and says, “Come with me, there’s something you need to see. You can bring your tea. And grab your camera!”

So I picked up my glass of tea and followed her out, swooping up my camera as we passed by the hall table. We piled into her SUV and she drove me to a nearby neighborhood where she parked in front of the biggest, most jaw-droppingly gorgeous oak tree I’ve ever seen.

That’s me there in front, so you can see how GIGANTIC this old tree is.

 After I finished taking approximately one gazillion photos of the tree, Sue took me to nearby Wormsloe Plantation, where I took more photos, one of which was the inspiration for today’s painting. 

The tours were closed for the day, so we couldn’t drive in, but just looking down the oak-lined drive was pretty spectacular.

After that, we did some more sightseeing until the sun started going down. 

I enjoyed the afternoon immensely, and came back with lots and lots of reference photos.

All in all, a beautiful way to spend an April afternoon in Savannah. Thanks, Sue!

This last one I took when we got back to Sue’s house. 

From the window of my guest bedroom.