The Serpentine Oak and other drawings

  These drawings are from a series of oak trees I created over a period of time. I used the micron pens to create the various textures and depths of the bark and hollows of the trees. This was definitely a project I needed to get out of my system, because of my constant fascination and admiration for these large and often monstrous, beautiful forms of life. It was and is symbolic of the spiritual essence I experience as a human being and an individual. The tedious applications of hatching and crosshatching was very meditative and disciplinary for me as an artist and a person.

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1. Oak in Winter is a piece that allows me to see the tree bare from its foliage. The oak resting in dormancy during the winter season. It also is such a striking and beautiful scene to view it contrasting with the bright white of the settled snow upon and around its solid trunk and resilient branches.

2. Oak tree is one of the first successful attempts at creating an oak in full bloom from a somewhat dog's eye view. The angle is an interesting interpretation that usually unintentionally creates itself. Especially when drawn from my imagination, where most of these tree drawings came from.

3. Oak trunk gave me more confidence in trying to capture the dog's eye view of a tall and massive trunk of the oak. The light hits it in interesting areas as various branches may conceal penetration.

4. The Serpentine Oak was actually based on a real tree, I still see on my way to work sometimes, when I remember or decide to glance over while driving by. It is a tree that stands before a small house like looking building, that is used for a small business. One of the Protruding, lower extensions of the old trunk reaches interestingly far away from the rest of its body. It also has a greenish-blue discoloration along parts of its weathered bark. I had to try and remember what little I could see of it while quickly passing it during weekday, rush hour mornings. In essence it gives the viewer an idea of a tree unlike the majority of those in the area.

5. Wisdom Oak is one of my favorites from this series. It is the kind of oak tree I long to see upon stretches of land. The most interesting part of trees are the lower trunks and their connections to the large roots that burl into the earth. This is an important part, because it displays the strength and reception of the tree's adaptation within its environment. It's a system that determines how well the tree will stand during weather and changing seasons. I love old, gnarly, and large trunks that display a ton of history and survival over the decades of their lives. This particular piece expresses that awe inspiring nature I experience whenever I see such a tree.