The Blue Oak - Limited Edition of 50 Photograph

Legend of The Blue Oak: Somewhere in the heart of Louisiana, there’s a centuries-old oak. The old Cajuns know the legend about it. And the black families – the descendent of slaves, some of them still talk about it among themselves. No one knows quite how old it is. It’s been standing, steadfast and silent in the middle of a vast sea of sugarcane. This is not a written story, but a mouth to ear story passed down over generations. It's said that a black woman was walking from one plantation to another with an herbal mixture meant for a sick child. As she walked the five miles between plantations, a storm gathered quickly around her. Clouds grew dark and tall as mountains while sheets of rain swept violently across the cane fields. The roar of the wind sounded like a train crashing toward her. She found shelter in a space between two large roots of an old oak. She huddled there, praying while the winds and rain of a tornado thrashed and flattened the landscape around her. The next morning her family found her, damp, asleep but safe, in her bed at home. She said that while she prayed she fell into a dream where everything was quiet and blue including the old oak tree. The herb remedy she was carrying mysteriously showed up at the family's home where it was to be delivered. The tree became known as "The Blue Oak." My photo images are abstracted, layered, colored with paints and pastels printed on paper or canvas. I print my images on archival fine-art paper or canvas that's varnished for colorfastness. The prints have a slightly smooth texture. The image size is 16" x 20" with approx. 1/2" white border around the image. It will ship rolled in a heavy-duty tube. My impressionistic images are strongly influenced by California painters of the early and mid-20th century. Though I began photographing in the pre-digital days of black-and-white film, hiking the rolling golden hills of the Central Coast moved me to begin painting and coloring my prints. From that experience, I fell in love with color—golden rolling hills, deep summer greens, intense sky blue, soft purple and orange sunsets. My work has always communicated my love and appreciation of the landscape and the importance of wilderness for the health of the planet. And these days, it also explores the emotional impact of color on the mind and heart.