Wood Grain is my Muse.  I selected this piece of Ash for the beauty and movement of the grain, and then allow the grain to inspire my composition for the painting.   I love the way this cool grey stain makes the grain pop, and provides a backgound that makes the rust colors pop.  I  use metal paints which react to patinas in this series. I especially like the juxtaposition of Ash, with a very bold fluid grain with the rusting texture of the metal paint. It reminds the of the circle of life- you can count the years in the rings of the tree, but eventually that wood needs to decay to feed future growth.