Thirty-five years ago the snag, a dead but still standing tree, was the tallest ponderosa pine in the area. Its broad branches dominated the sunlight so there were no other pines nearby. After a lightening strike burned most of it, other pines shot up all around. But the snag still stands and is gorgeous with its twisted yellow, orange and red wood, especially in the morning light. This is a gouache sketch on a 12 by 17 inch sheet of Derwent black paper.