Concept:

 

This painting can be viewed from many angles. It can be simply viewed as a clearing of woods along the side of a country highway with two burning trees with some rocks along the shore of a small pond. It also can be viewed as a commentary on how nature is being burned down to make room for our need of roads. Maybe something on the lines of global warming or the forest fires often caused by global warming. All are fair and would not be incorrect for art can be interpreted many ways depending on what the viewer brings to it. We all bring something different to the table when processing art. With me, this painting has a different meaning than those mentioned.

 

For me, this painting is how I am processing our current political and social environment. 

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Everything changes. Many people welcome change. Others may hate change and some may be ok with change as long as it's done at a slow comfortable rate. This is human nature and this is at the painting's core. 

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You can see the grass swaying as the wind blows from the left to the right of the scene. Though not always, but most change comes from the left. Much good has come on the winds of change. Change propels us as a society forward - not backwards. I've made the trees to the left and to right pretty much the same because there's really not much separating both sides. The reason for why there's more trees on the left than on the right – is simply there's more people who embrace change than oppose it.

 

In the center of the painting are two trees in what I like to think of as the common ground. The two trees represent each side's passion for change. Fire has represented passion in art for centuries. The left's passion for change often burns brightest while the right's conservative view tends to fight to keep their traditional lifestyles in place. 

 

It's human nature for one to either embrace or resist change even though adapting to change has been the bedrock to our survival. In today's world, change is taking place so fast and I oftentimes feel bad for those that find it so hard to accept this reality. Regardless, we cannot go backwards or remain stagnant, we have to embrace changing old views and welcome change that benefits us all.