Introducing Quercus alba

For those of you who are getting slightly annoyed that hollysdailydraw isn't exactly every day, but you keep checking up on me anyway, today you will be rewarded.  Allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite trees, Quercus alba, the mighty White oak.  I love this tree because it grows to such magnificence -- tall, sturdy, and elegant.  The pale gray bark is fissured but not too deeply.  Its large, lobed leaves wear a changing rainbow of colors through spring, summer and fall, and don't drop to the ground until the very end of winter.  And who doesn't love acorns?  Traditional uses of White oak wood include hardwood flooring, whiskey barrels and boat building.  The famouse Revolutionary War frigate, USS Constitution, "Old Ironsides", was made of White oak.  Who knew?

On our property, we have a number of White oaks, but one in particular, which is just outside my studio, is our favorite.  It is the oldest and has the most beautiful spread of branches.  Several years ago now, I promised Peter I'd paint him a series of paintings of White oak, through the seasons.  So in 2008, I successfully completed two of them (autumn and winter).  And then Life took over and I haven't returned to the project in three years.  Now is the time!  I did a completed pencil drawing back in 2008, which I'll post here.  This took hours and hours, working out the composition, studying the leaf structure and actually doing the drawing.  Now I will take you through the process of making a painting!  Don't hold your breath; it takes rediculously long!  And don't worry, I won't only post Quercus alba updates for the next two months.  I'll keep going with quick daily drawings, too.  Enjoy!