1. Beauty’s Privilege Tim Cantor

2. Character The main subject of the painting is the pink and purple tree, depicted as an object of beauty that symbolizes appreciation and understanding. Its bright leaves float up toward the light, illustrating its resulting goodness. Plants and vines surrounding the tree are portrayed as menacing, illustrating the tragedies that interfere with one’s desire to find an appreciation of life. Vines also coil around the tree trunk, threatening the tree’s existence and impeding its growth. This portrays the sadness and ugliness of the world that attempts to prevent appreciation and good will. The flourishing of the pink and purple tree represents knowledge arising from the ugliness and bitterness of the world. Once one is able to understand and appreciate his misfortunes, he will embody graciousness and good will. This is the beauty that comes out of tragedy. The tall background trees grow upwards toward the sunlight and are bare, portraying the fortunes that simply bring satisfaction and joy to one’s life.

3. Color The painting is vibrant and full of various colors, indicating the many emotions existent in life. There is a sharp contrast of color between each layer of the setting (tall background trees, center tree, and bottom plants), especially of the pink and purple shades of the center tree, which imply the value and beauty of appreciation and understanding. Light, warm colors (shades of yellow) fill the top half of the painting which portray goodness, while dark, cool colors (shades green and blue) are used at the bottom which illustrate tragedy and misfortune. The blue fog from below wraps around the tree just as how tragedy and sadness attempts to interfere with one’s appreciation of life. There is subtle contrast of color in the tall trees, indicating the simple contentment with which one receives the gifts of life.

4. Light Light shines from above the trees as sunlight from the sky. It is brightest at the top and lights up most of the painting, shining exclusively on the pink and purple tree while the bottom plants are left in darkness. The bright light illustrates goodness and compassion in the presence of adversity. Like the light spreading outwards, one reaches out to others upon understanding instead of focusing on his own despair. The light in the tops of the trees indicates the appreciation of prosperity while the absence of light in the edge trees portray the ignorance and lack of compassion when there is no understanding or appreciation involved in favorable circumstances.

5. Angle The view of the tree is level and straight ahead, capturing the tree in plain sight. It includes not only the tree itself, but the floating leaves in the space above the tree. This demonstrates the influence of understanding and appreciation to change one’s thinking and actions.

6. Proportion The pink and purple tree and its leaves take up about half of the painting, characterizing the significance of appreciation and understanding. The space above the center tree indicates the possibility of appreciation to grow in even more abundance. The plants and vines are many, but smaller in size than the tree, which depicts misfortunes as being many but not as impactful as the knowledge that comes out of the tragedy. The rest of the painting is made up of tall trees which represent the immense satisfaction in life that comes from fortunate conditions.

7. Placement The pink and purple tree is the center of the painting and seen in its entirety along with its floating leaves, depicting the importance and influence of understanding. The vines are below the pink tree, portraying the power of understanding to defeat despair. At the bottom of the painting, parts of plants are placed right in front of the viewer as a reminder of constant difficulties that are present in one’s life. The pink and purple tree is set apart from the tall trees, indicating the difference in acquiring satisfaction and appreciation from knowledge rather than advantage. The tall trees are in the background which further portrays the insignificance of gifts that are often taken for granted and not understood or appreciated. The light comes from above but is not pictured, which illustrates the infinite possibility and hope of goodness through knowledge.

8. Setting The pink and purple tree is deep within the forest surrounded by many plants, implying the power of understanding over sorrow. The tree is painted in broad daylight and the sun is shining directly overhead to illustrate the goodness pertaining to understanding and appreciation.

9. Character: The main subject of the painting is the pink and purple tree, depicted as an object of beauty that symbolizes appreciation and understanding. Its bright leaves float up toward the light, illustrating its resulting goodness. Plants and vines surrounding the tree are portrayed as menacing, illustrating the tragedies that interfere with one’s desire to find an appreciation of life. Vines also coil around the tree trunk, threatening the tree’s existence and impeding its growth. This portrays the sadness and ugliness of the world that attempts to prevent appreciation and good will. The flourishing of the pink and purple tree represents knowledge arising from the ugliness and bitterness of the world. Once one is able to understand and appreciate his misfortunes, he will embody graciousness and good will. This is the beauty that comes out of tragedy. The tall background trees grow upwards toward the sunlight and are bare, portraying the fortunes that simply bring satisfaction and joy to one’s life. Color: The painting is vibrant and full of various colors, indicating the many emotions existent in life. There is a sharp contrast of color between each layer of the setting (tall background trees, center tree, and bottom plants), especially of the pink and purple shades of the center tree, which imply the value and beauty of appreciation and understanding. Light, warm colors (shades of yellow) fill the top half of the painting which portray goodness, while dark, cool colors (shades green and blue) are used at the bottom which illustrate tragedy and misfortune. The blue fog from below wraps around the tree just as how tragedy and sadness attempts to interfere with one’s appreciation of life. There is subtle contrast of color in the tall trees, indicating the simple contentment with which one receives the gifts of life. Light: Light shines from above the trees as sunlight from the sky. It is brightest at the top and lights up most of the painting, shining exclusively on the pink and purple tree while the bottom plants are left in darkness. The bright light illustrates goodness and compassion in the presence of adversity. Like the light spreading outwards, one reaches out to others upon understanding instead of focusing on his own despair. The light in the tops of the trees indicates the appreciation of prosperity while the absence of light in the edge trees portray the ignorance and lack of compassion when there is no understanding or appreciation involved in favorable circumstances. Angle: The view of the tree is level and straight ahead, capturing the tree in plain sight. It includes not only the tree itself, but the floating leaves in the space above the tree. This demonstrates the influence of understanding and appreciation to change one’s thinking and actions. Proportion: The pink and purple tree and its leaves take up about half of the painting, characterizing the significance of appreciation and understanding. The space above the center tree indicates the possibility of appreciation to grow in even more abundance. The plants and vines are many, but smaller in size than the tree, which depicts misfortunes as being many but not as impactful as the knowledge that comes out of the tragedy. The rest of the painting is made up of tall trees which represent the immense satisfaction in life that comes from fortunate conditions. Placement: The pink and purple tree is the center of the painting and seen in its entirety along with its floating leaves, depicting the importance and influence of understanding. The vines are below the pink tree, portraying the power of understanding to defeat despair. At the bottom of the painting, parts of plants are placed right in front of the viewer as a reminder of constant difficulties that are present in one’s life. The pink and purple tree is set apart from the tall trees, indicating the difference in acquiring satisfaction and appreciation from knowledge rather than advantage. The tall trees are in the background which further portrays the insignificance of gifts that are often taken for granted and not understood or appreciated. The light comes from above but is not pictured, which illustrates the infinite possibility and hope of goodness through knowledge. Setting: The pink and purple tree is deep within the forest surrounded by many plants, implying the power of understanding over sorrow. The tree is painted in broad daylight and the sun is shining directly overhead to illustrate the goodness pertaining to understanding and appreciation.