Tree Portraits

        A walk around the California State University, Fresno campus in 2002 and the discovery of a “Treewalks” guide book was my inspiration for the ongoing Tree Portraits series. The CSUF campus is designated an arboretum and includes living tree specimens from around the world. I was also inspired by the superlative botanical renderings of artist A.R. Valentien exhibited at the San Diego Natural History Museum. Valentien worked in opaque watercolor on neutral-colored illustration board and his paintings of flowering wild California plants are magnificent. I decided to attempt the same technique.

        All faculty and staff at the university are invited to submit a brief paragraph describing their favorite tree on campus. I then paint whichever tree they have chosen. The interaction with my colleagues and the randomness inherent in letting others decide which trees are chosen appeals to me. The paintings are published twice yearly in the FresnoState magazine. Thanks to everyone I’ve worked with on Tree Portraits!