The Sentinel

The Sentinel, 7x5", oil on canvas panel©2013 Cindy Greene

I've always been fascinated by the eucalyptus, or gum, trees that are everywhere in my part of California. The ones that really get me though, are the ones that line the freeways. I used to snap photos of them at dusk against the sky (only when my husband was driving).

This huge old tree stands at a freeway on-ramp not far from my house. It is just over a bridge that is being rebuilt, and I am so thankful CalTrans did not cut it down. We have a major freeway/overpass/carpool lane connector project going on around here (which is making the population of at least two cities very cranky), and there are a few of these old trees still standing and guarding the ramps.

I took the reference photo for this while stopped at the light, waiting to turn left onto the freeway on-ramp behind the tree.