Grandmother Oak

One of my favorite childhood books was “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein. This poignant story about a selfish boy and a generous tree made a lasting impression on me to not take trees for granted. The recent loss of the “Grandmother Oak” in Sugarloaf State Park reminded me of this story. My oak paintings are a celebration of what these trees give to us through their beauty, strength and persistence. Believed to be the oldest coast live oak in Sonoma County with an estimated age of up to 500 years, the Grandmother Oak dates back to a time in history before Europeans had settled the area and the land was home to indigenous peoples who might have feasted on her acorns.