The Forbidden City
Karen Silve, Beijing Tree painting inspired by the Forbidden City and Imperial Gardens,
Acrylic on Canvas, 68 x 58 in, 173 x 147 cm
The Forbidden City was such an impressive place. There were many gates, one after another, each with their own name and meaning. Walking through each gate I felt like I was entering into something more precious or secret. The last gate opened into the Imperial Gardens; a jewel at the end of the palace. There were so many unique old trees. I was taken by the respect and care given to these trees. Some of them were hundreds if not a thousand years old and had metal structures to hold up the large branches.
In most of my Beijing Trees paintings, on a whitish background, I built colored structures in the middle of the canvas balancing on top of one another. In this painting, I wanted warmth to fill the canvas with a play between nurturing and strength.
