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TP Tree

Oil on Canvas - 14"x18"

Finished September 28, 2013

Concept:

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When I was young I've had a lot of fun. While writing this, I'm struggling to recall seeing a front yard in Louisville's South End having been toilet papered (TP'd for short) and maybe once or twice do I recall having seen it. Out of all the stupid things that I've done in my youth, I never TP'd anyone's front lawn.

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I started off this painting just wanting to do a simple scenic painting of a tree with maybe a scene with a picnic underneath by a creek. So I started off with the tree and quickly decided against something saccharine as my initial concept. That's not neither fun or interesting.

 

I thought "What's engaging and fun regarding a tree). There's always two lovers carving their initials into the tree but that's over done and too trite. I can do a tire swing hanging from one of its branches (which I have always thought was cool as hell, maybe because I've never swung from a makeshift tire swing) but this is the wrong type of tree for that. What about a tree that's been toilet papered. BINGO! That's fun, nostalgic and interesting. 

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This was meant to be early morning because, let's face, the majority of the home owners discover the dastardly deed in the morning. And they (or more likely their children) had to begrudgingly go outside half asleep while still in their pajamas and pry the sheets of paper from the unforgiving branches by any means necessary. Again, by any means necessary. The victim does this all while trying to disseminate who did this and oh how they will pay for this public declaration of war. I only point out it being morning because of the lack of strong shadowing beneath the TP on the ground. I show some of the TP swaying in the wind and some not to create the illusion of a slight gust of wind just hitting the tree. 

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I tend to like painting trees separately from other trees. Trees are such a great metaphor for not only life but for people. Nowadays, we tend to group everyone in a category which nobody fits completely in a single class. I think people tend to not notice the individual beauty of trees when they're clumped in a grove, woods or forest. Trees are intricately beautiful with a lot of personality. It's only when you look at a tree separate from others that you can see the merit of their worth. We now live in the world where anger can be so easily directed at someone while sitting at a computer. Anger is so rampant in our society. So maybe instead of blasting someone in a hateful manner on social media, just go TP their house. Nah, better not. People are crazy nowadays.

©2025 George Taylor Jr.

All artwork is copyrighted. No artwork is to be used without prior permission.

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