Recently, the area where I live has been touched by the blight of oak wilt, a disease that can quickly spread to wipe out a great number of Live Oak trees. In order to combat it, the neighborhood has had oak wilt trenches built, which dig down deep to cut the roots of neighboring oaks off from one another, and then are filled back in with dirt.

I walked down the scar of one of these oak trenches, which cut a new path through a patch of the woods that hadn't been very accessible before. I was sure I would find some interesting trees. This one caught my attention, and as I drew it, I noticed more and more aspects of it which led me to believe that it is one of those afflicted. The large, old boughs were barren of leaves, while a number of tiny new twigs sprouted up from the main trunk with huge new leaves-- an attempt at a rebound from the disease, though one which I understand does not usually succeed.

This drawing was done with a Kuretake No. 8 Fountain Brush Pen on Strathmore Toned Tan Paper, with Sailor Jentle Yama-dori (Copper Pheasant) Ink, which is a lovely teal which shows a faint reddish sheen in darker areas. I was sooo excited to try this ink out for the first time after discovering it, and I was not disappointed!

This one is currently still available in my store, found here.

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