Here is a piece inspired by John Steinbeck's second novel, To A God Unknown. It's a very intense story about Joseph, a man who drops his life in Vermont and moves west to California to live out his father's last dying wish. While there, he becomes profoundly connected to the land, and believes a magnificent oak tree holds the spirit of his father. While Joseph's story took many a twist and turn, I was touched by this simple image in my head... to me, it somehow touched the heart of what Steinbeck was writing about, and what I could whole-heartedly relate to... a profound kinship to the earth.

This piece was first pyrographed (woodburned) on solid pine, and then painted with acrylics. It was finished off with a protective coat of varnish and wire on the back for hanging.