For a few years, a hawthorn tree in Isa's garden attracted her bear-in-residence. Every fall, it would sit in the small tree and wreak havoc. Every fall, Isa would prune the broken limbs and hope to get the tree back into shape. The tree did grow back, but on its own terms. She used to despair over its spooky, Grimm’s-fairy-tale-like appearance, but now she likes the evidence of its resiliency and the otherworldly shapes. This painting is a snapshot of the tangle of limbs and shoots, with lingering berries, on a clear winter’s day.