A break in the trees.

I've been sitting on the project for some time - staring at the trees in the foreground wondering what I should do with the mid and background. Started thinking about the events surrounding the illustration... Hiking through the trees - the off-trail idea seemed great at the time but after awhile, not so much. The trees can close in on you. It can be an unsettling feeling. After hours of tree-filled monotony, you hope for a clearing, a river or lake, anything to break up the endless tangle of trees.

The story here is the relief of breaking through - seeing the pristine lake. All the hard work, doubt and frustration is lost once the oasis comes into view!

In a couple of my more recent illustrations, I've been getting pretty complex in the poly shapes and a bit predictable with the colour palette. I stripped things down for this work - much better effect in my opinion and the shift in palette has opened things up.