Franklin Carmichael, Dead Pines, Cranberry Lake presents a rugged northern landscape rendered with vigorous, expressive brushwork and heightened colour. In the foreground, pale granite rock is built up with thick, confident strokes, its creamy whites and greys forming a solid, anchoring mass. From this rocky rise stand several dead and wind-bent pine trees, their dark, angular trunks and twisted, skeletal branches sharply silhouetted against the water and hills beyond.

A band of deep blue lake occupies the middle ground, its surface dense with paint and colour, acting as a visual divider between the stark foreground and the rolling landscape behind. Beyond the water, hills unfold in rhythmic layers of green, ochre, and violet, suggesting a mix of forest, open land, and distant ridges. Above, the sky is light and airy, brushed with horizontal streaks of pale blue and lavender that mirror the undulating forms of the land.

Overall, Dead Pines, Cranberry Lake emphasizes structure, movement, and emotional response over literal detail. The bold outlines, animated brushwork, and expressive palette convey the resilience, austerity, and raw beauty of the Canadian Shield landscape that so deeply engaged Carmichael.