Branches in "Batik"

The ongoing battle, simplicity vs. detail, is being fought yet again in my studio this week.   I wanted to capture a smaller, more intimate view of the light through the trees I've been painting this week and last.  I started with the cyan-magenta-yellow palette that I've used for this series, but I didn't feel like my first stabs at this were adding to my understanding of the scene.  Depth, check. Contrast, check.  Warm, cool, yeah, got that.  So what was it?  I was thinking about the image and the batik-like lace branches that broke up the sky and the shadows.  I'd been ignoring them as fussy details.  And so they may be.  But they do give the painting a lively dance that was missing before.