20x20" oil on canvas
I've been wanting to paint leafless oaks all winter, there's so much character in their twisted, gnarly branches. They've just started to bud so I figured I'd better get to it. This is my first large canvas in a while. I had to alter my brushwork a bit to suit the subject. I experimented with shorter strokes and I didn't thin the paint at all. I think this gives the painting an early California look.
For some reason the early California painters focused primarily on eucalyptus trees. Some critics actually dubbed them the "Eucalyptus School". The oak is a very striking native tree so I'm surprised it wasn't painted more often. It could be due to their complicated structure, or the fact that they look a little spooky.
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