"Red Oak Bark"

acrylic on board, unframed, 16" x 20"

Each species of tree in the woods has its own signature bark. Walking through a stand of hemlocks or hickories or oaks the color and texture of the trunks may seem the same. But move in closer, take a second and third look and you will soon discover there are differences in each one. Some bark shows the wear and tear of rubbing against other trees, in some places you will find cuts and scrapes where animals have been or the evidence of fire or ice damage. Like our own human faces, the bark of each tree carries the story of its life. This is the bark face of a red oak.