An exhibition of recent oil paintings by Ellen Sinel opens at the AMZehnder Gallery, 25 Bank St. #3 in Wellfleet, on Thursday, Aug. 5 and runs through Tuesday, Aug. 10. Sinel paints trees in the fall and winter, framed close and set against a cloudy sky, in front of a row of evergreens dressed in a barrage of golden yellow. There’s an abstract quality to the work — a preponderance of strong verticals tempered by the implication of a landscape behind. The paintings are quiet, meditative responses to the natural world that anchor the eyes and settle the nerves. The gallery is open daily, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed Wednesdays. There will be a reception on Saturday, Aug. 7, from 6 to 8 p.m.