Soft Walkers

Well, I've examined both images (Landscape and P&DA), and I definitely feel that the softening of the brush in this image best conveys the feeling you had -- that the trees were walking towards you. Actually, the softening of the underbrush makes the trees much more visible, so their "arms" and "legs" (their  branches) can be seen as they amble down the incline in your direction. In fact, the longer I study the image, the more the trees appear to come to life. At the top right area, for example, I see a tree with its arms extended, and with its left leg up and extended out to the side. Then, in the bottom right area, I see one tree pushing a tree in front of it from behind. It's similar to looking at clouds and seeing images encased therein. So, you are to be commended for seeing this design in the landscape and bringing it to life. I have enjoyed what you have created here very much. Nicely done!

I like your softened version very much. I think Ron pretty much said it all- a wonderful feel that those trees are in motion through a misty, almost surreal environment. They look quite agitated! What works especially well in this version is the blending of colors to make that misty look. For me this evokes something like an Arthur Rackham painting, or perhaps Tolkien's "Ents".