Roots

This is a watercolor, pen and ink drawing (with highlights of metallic foils) of a huge live oak tree root system, found in Audubon Park here in New Orleans. This tree, estimated to be over 500 years old, is named the Etienne de Boré Live Oak and has a circumference of 35 feet and a crown of limbs more than 160 feet wide. Monsieur Boré was a local eighteenth century French planter, credited with discovering the process of granulating sugar. (And was the first mayor of New Orleans in 1803!)
I have drawn the entire tree several times but never done just the root system itself. Here's my fantasy interpretation. This piece is part of a group invitational show opening this weekend at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Art.