Oak Trees of Santa Ynez Valley

To a scientist, or botanist an Oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus having 600 extant species. As an artist, I find the beauty of the California oak to be compelling and complex. Each tree is fully unique, representing the struggles, scars and life bestowed on the tree by nature. I often consider the parallels between the appearance of a twisted and scarred Oak tree and that of a weathered human counterpart. While all objects can be uniquely touched by nature, each Oak tree found in this book tells a story, much like that of the human face.



The goal in my photographic representation of Oak trees found in this book is to present each tree in a setting that allows the viewer to see and hear the stories each tree has to tell, as Indeed they have many stories to tell.