oak tree – Ink, Yarn & Beer

The Happiness of Trees

Trees always make me happy, and it makes me sad if I have to remove them for any reason. In particular, I like oak trees, and where I live, it is against the law to cut any oak tree down without permission. California is dotted with beautiful oak trees across the hills; from a distance, I always think that this is what a herd of buffaloes must have looked like in the 1800s as they grazed across the prairies. (Technically, the American buffalo is a bison.)

Mid-morning I headed out to a local park next to the botanical garden. The park is on a gentle slope upon which are several grand oaks. Many are supported by metal tubing as their branches can sprawl far from the trunk, often breaking and falling from the stress.

My goal this morning was to simply get out and sketch plein air. Rummaging through my stash of sketchbooks and paper, I found a 6×12 spiral-bound Pentalic watercolor journal, unused. Perfect for landscapes! And for the broad sprawl of the oak tree.

I think I did a decent job here!

Pen, waterproof ink, 6×12.

Through Many Seasons

While the peasants needing food and firewood in the past centuries in England were kept off the king’s land, it has left a wonderful legacy of old growth trees, unlike, I understand, in most of Europe. Here in the U.S. we have many old trees, and the wilder parts of our country have many stunning examples.

Personally, I am partial to oak trees because of their oddly twisting limbs and branches. As a kid in the mid-west, I grew up with a forest of oaks behind my house, and these trees have always held a special place in my heart. The Druids found them magical, and so do I.

There are multiple species, distributed worldwide. Here in California, the overall objective is to give oak trees the protection they deserve, and while property owners can cut down trees, permits are generally required, and woe betide those who fail to follow those regulations. Sadly our fires are killing many.

A return to the theme of snow and winter. Can you imagine what these old trees must have seen through the years and years they have stood? Changes in forest, change in season, spring to summer to fall to the desolation of winter. For me, a tree is more than a tree – it is a legacy of times gone by as well as, in many ways, a hope for the future.

Kilimanjaro 300# cold press paper, 11×14, limited palette of blues, umbers, and siennas.

Miner’s Lettuce

Miner’s lettuce is a “wild edible” that is quite tasty! Here in California it grows in damp places, usually along streams, but on our trip up to Paso Robles last week I found some flourishing beneath an oak tree. After all the rains of this past winter I am not surprised, but I was really delighted to find this little patch.

Oak Leaves

I grew up in the midwest, surrounded by oak trees. In California, the trees are still recognizably oaks, but adapted to a dryer climate, and green for most of the year. I think this may be an import as its leaves are bigger, and changing with the season.

A Winter Sunset in California

Winter in California usually brings rain. So far, nothing. The grassy hills die down to beige and brown, the oak trees are dark spots against the pale grasses. It’s a beauty of its own. Here, the beginning of a sunset casting its warmth on the peaks as the day ends.