Lorrie #2

Mossy Oak, watercolor, 9 x 12 inches on cold-pressed paper.

There are many great old oaks dotting the hills at Henry Coe State Park, about 1-1/2 hour south of San Francisco (and inland). I had painted the moss-decorated, multi-armed trunk of this one on site during a hike a few weeks ago, and I wanted to try a new version at home. While doing so, as I painted wet into wet in the beginning, some areas looked like dead weathered wood, and though the original tree was fully healthy and alive, I thought it was an interesting look. So I left some areas without bark (or the abundant moss!) higher up the tree.
There was a lot of vegetation texture around the tree, and I just wanted impressions of the dried grasses mixed with some green new grass, dead leaves, etc.The purple hills in background were really there, and I put that in last, thinking it would balance the foreground purples. But now I'm wondering if the hills distract from the grandeur of the tree and the blue-sky day. What do you think?
Also, these oaks often have huge branches that literally rest on the ground. With this tree, the branch on the right curved down and back from my viewpoint. Can you tell this is what is happening? I tried a few things to indicate this... wondering how it looks to you.
Thanks!