Support: The support is a 1 x 1 plain-weave, processed linen canvas stretched over an "American Type" double bevel-faced, miter-cut ended, mortise-and-tenon joined, keyable softwood commercial stretcher bar, pre-cut to the whole inch, 1 ¾" wide x ¾" thick in 36" and 30" sized lengths. The canvas is stretched with the warps in the horizontal position and tacked using blued steel tacks spaced evenly apart. Eight custom basswood keys are secured at the corners.

Ground or Support Preparation: The canvas has a commercially applied primer consisting of 2PbCO3•Pb(OH)2 in oil, characterized using x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy at 15kV, 33 kV, and 40kV, with currents of 28.8, 18, and 3.8 µA under full vacuum from the verso.

Design Layers: Graphite line underdrawing is visible at the margins of adjacent painted forms. The work is executed in single and double layers of stiff, paste-like paints, with multiple layers used at the brightest values. Brush texture is generally retained in the stiff paints of brighter values. Cream, vehicular paints, nearly smooth and leveled, occur only in the darker value areas. There are frequent linear raised ridges of paint at the margins of the forms. Scrubbing or zigzag brushwork has often been used in brighter values. The artist’s subtractive technique is seen in discrete areas. There is minimal wet-in-wet blending with gradual, stepped transitions in value or hue. The artist has also used subtractive techniques such as wiping, thinning, and drybrush-flattening in the execution of the paint texture and translucent values.

Surface Coating: There appears to be a very light synthetic n-isobutyl methacrylate resin spray-applied varnish, by Keck or Hines under the artist’s direction.

XRF: Primer on top edge: huge zinc, tiny bit of lead, no calcium, no Ba, no Ti ( Bright blue upper center very top edge: no cobalt, no tin (cerulean blue), no iron (Prussian blue), therefore ultramarine blue (cannot detect with XRF). Bright white top right corner: zinc white. Pasty white middle upper next to red: zinc. Green upper right corner: chrome, zinc, calcium, sulfur (calcium sulfate filler, translucent). Gray in trunk, low center: zinc, calcium, sulfur, silica (carbon black). Bright orange triangle in center: cadmium and sulfur (Cadmium orange), iron (red ochre), aluminum, possibly a little alizarin. Red in center surrounded by gray trunk and branches: iron (red ochre), zinc, sulfur, and calcium (possibly filler), no cadmium, no tin, a small amount of lead. Maroon at bottom right close to edge: Cobalt, iron, zinc. Black at base of trunk, center: potassium and phosphorus (bone black), silicon (filler), sulfur, a small amount of titanium (early natural form).

Framing, Backing, and Hanging Hardware: Work is installed in a reproduction Georgia O’Keeffe/George Of-designed "clam shell" profile, metal leaf, environmentally controlled frame with a gasketed secondary backing basswood strainer, and gasketed Optium glazing.

The structure of the painting is stable, and the media is well adhered and secure. There are isolated planar dents (in the top-left, the middle of the right edge, and the bottom-left), as well as stretcher bar creases with intermittent cracks. These cracks have been consolidated and are thought to be stable. Cadmium and vermillion orange, as well as dense iron red regions, exhibit drying craquelure and are stable and secure. Iron-red areas also exhibit slightly opaque carboxylate blanching. An abrasion above the bottom edge, center, at the trunk of the tree figure has been repaired and varnished, and is no longer visible.

Areas of stiff paintbrush application in the foreground and elsewhere in the composition have resulted in "holidays" or exposed priming, which is due to the artist's technique. These should not be confused with losses of paint or instability but are common to the artist’s technique. In other areas, the paint is more paste-like, with retained brushwork, or has a cream, nearly smooth texture. Forms are defined by linear brushwork at the margins, characterized by high, raised ridges. Stretcher bar creases are visible on all four sides. Stretcher bar lip cracks are found beneath the frame rabbet at the left, right, and top edge, some only intermittently. There are numerous brush hairs and paint bit inclusions scattered throughout the paint layer. The varnish layer is likely a synthetic, and numerous fiber inclusions are seen in this layer.

Support: The support is a 1 x 1 plain-weave, processed, linen canvas stretched over an “American Type”, double-bevel-faced, miter-cut ended, mortise-and-tenon joined, keyable softwood, commercial stretcher bar, pre-cut to the whole inch, 1 ¾” wide x ¾” thick in 36” and 30” sized lengths. The canvas is stretched with the warps in the horizontal position and tacked using blued steel tacks spaced evenly apart, 2” to 3” with regularity. Eight custom basswood keys are secured at the corners

Ground or Support Preparation: The canvas has a commercially applied primer consisting of 2PbCO3•Pb(OH)2in oil, characterized using x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy at 15kV, 33 and 40kV and 28.8, 18 and 3.8 µA under full vacuum from the verso.

Design Layers: Graphite line underdrawing is seldom visible at the margins of adjacent forms. The work is executed in single and double layers of stiff, paste-like paints with multiple layers used at the brightest values. Brush texture is generally retained in the stiff paints of brighter values. Cream, vehicular paints nearly smooth and leveled occur only in the darker value areas. There are frequent linear raised ridges of paint at margins of the forms. Scrubbing or zigzag brushwork has often been used in brighter values. The artist’s subtractive technique is seen in discrete areas. There is minimal wet-in-wet blending with gradual, stepped transitions in value or hue. The artist has also used subtractive techniques such as wiping, thinning and drybrush-flattening in the execution of the paint texture and translucent values.

Surface Coating: There appears to be a very light synthetic n- iso butyl methacrylate resin spray-applied varnish, by Keck or Hines under the artist’s direction.

XRF: primer on top edge: huge zinc, tiny bit of lead, no calcium, no Ba, no Ti ( Bright blue upper center very top edge: no cobalt, no tin (cerulean blue), no iron ( Prussian blue), therefore ultramarine blue (cannot detect with xrf)

Bright white top right corner: zinc white

Pasty white middle upper next to red: zinc

Green upper right corner: chrome, zinc, calcium, sulfur (calcium sulfate filler, translucent)

Gray in trunk, low center: zinc, calcium, sulfur, silica (Carbon black – not sure which one)

Bright orange triangle in center: cadmium + sulfur (Cadmium orange), iron (red ochre), aluminum, a little alizarin?

Red in center surrounded by gray trunk and branches: iron (red ochre), zinc, sulfur + calcium (filler?), no cadmium, no tin, tiny bit lead Maroon at bottom right close to edge: Cobalt, iron, zinc

Black at base of trunk, center: potassium + phosphorus (bone black) silicon (filler), sulfur, tiny bit titanium (early natural form)

Framing, Backing and Hanging Hardware: Work is installed in a reproduction GOK III “clam shell, metal leaf, environmentally controlled frame with a gasketed secondary backing basswood strainer and gasketed Optium glazing.

The structure of the painting is stable and the media is well adhered and secure. There are isolated planar dents (top-left, middle of right edge and bottom-left), as well as stretcher bar creases with intermittent cracks, as indicated in the condition illustration. These cracks have been consolidated and are thought to be stable. Cadmium/vermillion orange and dense iron red regions exhibit drying craquelure and are stable and secure. Iron red areas also show slightly opaque carboxylate blanching. An abrasion above the bottom edge, center, trunk of the tree figure has been repaired and varnished and is no longer visible.

Areas of stiff paint brush application in the foreground and elsewhere in the composition have resulted in holidays or exposed priming and this is due to artist technique. These should not be confused with losses of paint or instability but are common to the artist’s technique. In other areas the paint is more paste-like with retained brushwork or of a cream, nearly smooth texture. Forms are defined by linear brush work at the margins of the forms with high raised ridges at the margins and these should be monitored for cracks and losses after transit. Stretcher bar creases (SBCs) are visible on all four sides. Stretcher bar lip cracks (SBLCs) are found beneath the frame rabbet at the left, right and top edge, some only intermittently. There are numerous brush hairs and paint bit inclusions scattered throughout the paint layer. The varnish layer is likely a synthetic and numerous fiber inclusions are seen in this layer.