Trees

Alexander Helwig Wyant, American, 1836-1892, oil on canvas laid on board, Willows by a Lake, 10 x 11 inches.
Pal Szinyei-Merse, Hilly Landscape, 60.5 x 70 cm.


These compositions crop out most of the sky and background, to focus on trees and the pattern of their foliage.
It's a common mistake to try to capture too much of the scene. Zooming in to a few trees, or even a single tree, can often give you a more interesting and intimate painting.

Edwin Lord Weeks, Street Scene, Bombay