For Pine Moon’s February exhibit titled “Rooted: The Art of Trees,” artist Missy Borden created a painting of a single pine, and she took “Yampa Valley Arts & Culture Guide” behind the scenes of her creation.

Missy Borden remains rooted in Steamboat Springs. The artist grew up – and spent most of her life – in Steamboat before she moved with her family to Broomfield in the summer of 2023. Since then, she has remained an integral member of the artistic community in Steamboat, as well as a Pine Moon Fine Art artist.

“The tree is on my in-laws property,” she told us. “They have a house a bit north of Steamboat. We were visiting – after moving away – and the sun was beginning to set and the light was coming from behind the tree, creating this amazing silhouette. I remember marveling at the beauty of it.”

Missy snapped a picture in the moment. And once the Pine Moon artists settled on their theme of trees for February, she knew exactly what to paint and she pulled the picture back out.

“I’m drawn to the whole idea of trees weathering life’s storm, being patient, not judging or comparing,” she explains. “They just exist as themselves and adapt to whatever comes their way.”

Missy created her painting, “The Wise Witness,” specifically for the February show, which opens on Friday, Feb. 6 during First Friday ArtWalk.

“For this piece,” Missy explains, “I worked from the photograph that I had taken but I used it more as a loose reference. There were some other trees in the picture but I took some creative liberty and eliminated them because they weren’t the focal point.”

It’s a piece that is less abstract than some of her recent work. “I wanted to honor its form and the actual shape and presence that the tree took, rather than the abstract feeling I might get from it,” she says. “I knew from the beginning that I wanted to express the individuality of the tree and have a loose, expressive brushwork that came through, rather than taking the abstract approach.”

View “The Wise Witness” (and many more works of art reflecting the theme of trees) at Pine Moon Fine Art this February. Follow Missy and her work on Instagram @MissyBordenArt or online at www.missyborden.com.