New Work: “The Fells”

My house is surrounded by several hundred acres of woods, stone walls and old hiking trails. About 10 years ago, thirty acres were sold to a developer who proceeded to build a 40-home development. Before he did, they excavated the acreage, leveling most of the trees to prepare the building lots. I imagine he looked over his newly cleared land, thinking of what he would call his new neighborhood. I heard once that developers often name their neighborhoods after things that were once there…”Deer Path” or “Highland Woods” etc. This developer must have found his newly felled trees to be inspiration enough…and the place became The Fells.

My property abuts the edge of this development…and on a recent walk down one of the old trails, I came across these trees and loved the contrast between the dark, shady woods-floor foreground against the bright blast of lime/orange treeline behind the neighboring farm. “The Fells” 30 x 40