Troutbeck Acrylic Painting

This piece combines the historical relevance of Troutbeck as a place with its setting in nature. Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God serves as a major inspiration for this piece. In one scene, the protagonist, Janie, lies beneath a pear tree and experiences a moment of profound peace. A particular line served as the guiding image for the piece. The line reads, “She was stretched on her back beneath the pear tree soaking in the alto chant of the visiting bees, the gold of the sun, and the panting breath of the breeze…”
The composition features a pear tree in the center, symbolizing growth, peace, and connection to the natural world. Surrounding the pear tree are native plants, Joe-Pye weed, Chicory, and Blue Vervain, which I identified through research and direct correspondence with the horticulturist at the Troutbeck estate.
This piece serves as a homage to both the physical place and the internal clarity that the stillness of Troutbeck provides.