Scrub oak, Interior live oak, (Q wislizeni) progression

[BrianBay9]

This one is pretty new to me, just over a year in my hands. Quite a chunky trunk that throws new growth out everywhere in the spring......and again now after the oppressive heat has abated. Not going to be a traditional look, no matter what I do with it. Open to any suggestions.

Before work:

 

[BrianBay9]

After some clean up, attempt at organizing that craziness.....

Possible front 1



Possible front 2



You know how, if you can't find the front at least find the back? This is the back.

 

[BrianBay9]

Still learning about this species. It handles our heat like a champ. It throws growth directly from the trunk all over the place in spring and fall. I'm curious to see how well the major branches back bud. Anybody with experience with these?

 

[The Barber]

I love the leaves on it, be a nice hollow tree candidate if it were mine perhaps.

 

[Tieball]

No experience. Possible front 2 is interesting. I can’t see everything, however, my first reaction was to begin Uro development on the lower rolled-over point and the smaller one above it….something like this. I would mimic the damage area to look like a large branch or trunk section had fallen away during the struggle to survive. I’d make the Uro rather deep and dimensional. Just my view. I get fascinated by damaged trees. The tree has lots of good Uro points with any of the fronts chosen.

 

[BrianBay9]

I love the leaves on it, be a nice hollow tree candidate if it were mine perhaps.

As it happens, there's a hole at the top not seen in the pics that drains through the top uro visible. I can put a chopstick from the second highest uro down to the level of the third, which connects to another gap on the side. Long way to say that the trunk seems to be mostly hollow already, and would only need to open it up some more.

 

[The Barber]

This might be a bit of inspiration for you Brian.

 

[BrianBay9]

This might be a bit of inspiration for you Brian.
View attachment 567055

Oooo. Where is that?

 

[The Barber]

Oooo. Where is that?

I believe that was the Laund oak in Bolton Abbey, in the UK, Europe has a lot of ancient trees surprisingly since most of the forests have been cut long ago.

 

[Pájaro]

Europe has a lot of ancient trees surprisingly since most of the forests have been cut long ago.
-

In my region most common centenary trees are chestnuts.
They hollow and decay in some amazing ways. Tryed to find some pictures but couldnt find anything really cool,
this is from the internet


but I can get you some pictures for inspiration next time I go for a walk on the forest

 

[Mike Westervelt]

Plus one for front #2, all the others lack movement in the upper trunk

 

[BrianBay9]

Starting a bit of carving to open up the central hollow.

Probable front



Below you can see a spot of light in the hole. It's connected to a seam in the back. It's also connected to a uro farther up the trunk.




Back, showing seam connected to hollow.

 

[Shogun610]

I love this oak . Would be sick in a blue stoneware looking pot

 

[Tieball]

Well done on the carving. I like the connectivity between the primary carved areas. We’ll thought out. The carving will weather up nicely as it is exposed to the CA heat, sun and watering.

Just for consideration. I’d try to connect the Uro to the center of the point where a branch/trunk-section once lived and grew. A nice natural weather-worn deteriorated area. It’s an opportunity to undercut behind the wood to create a dimensional area with some light that could show through from the back hole. This is a practice I need to learn more about and practice on my trees.

Excellent work on the tree with a great deal of weathered character. Mighty fine!

Please keep posting progress. The photos are inspirational.

 

[Dabbler]

Pretty cool! I love an ancient gnarly oak

 

[BrianBay9]

Well done on the carving. I like the connectivity between the primary carved areas. We’ll thought out. The carving will weather up nicely as it is exposed to the CA heat, sun and watering.

Just for consideration. I’d try to connect the Uro to the center of the point where a branch/trunk-section once lived and grew. A nice natural weather-worn deteriorated area. It’s an opportunity to undercut behind the wood to create a dimensional area with some light that could show through from the back hole. This is a practice I need to learn more about and practice on my trees.

Excellent work on the tree with a great deal of weathered character. Mighty fine!

Please keep posting progress. The photos are inspirational.

Thanks for the carving tip. I like the suggestion.

 

[Pájaro]

I managed to take some pictures of some chestnuts around me


at least on my area oaks tend more to create such a warty accumulations


In both cases, I believe those trees suffered human prunning through the decades

 

[Cadillactaste]

First and foremost...that bark!!! the foliage is endearing. Love that you are working to make a URO on it. Totally agree there with that direction.

 

[BrianBay9]

Man, trying to ID the oaks around here is beyond me. Just got the book, Oaks of California (Pavlik), and I'm really not sure what this thing is. Q wislizeni is a tree oak, not a bushy oak, and the growth habit of this one suggests bushy. It constantly throws new growth from the base of the main trunk. Unfortunately, that leaves three or four more alternatives for ID. Q berberidifolia, Q dumosa, Q durata, Q john-tuckeri. Leaves of all of them are variable. Maybe if I had acorns from it something would jump out. Henceforth this will be known as a scrub oak, species debatable.