Patrick O'Rourke's "Winter Oak" piece above perfectly captures the January scene in Napa with the lone oak standing guard over the leafless vines. This moment, when days are short, tourist traffic wanes, and locals take back their turf, is when the statuesque beauty of the oaks steps forward from the background and shares the spotlight. The vineyards, of course, are the big attraction and the main agribusiness of the area, but the oaks were here long before, and still reign as the most stately of trees.
O'Rourke has studied the flora of Northern California and produces some of the best-selling landscapes of the region, but this scene rings especially true in winter.
In his bio, Patrick O'Rourke says he has a lifelong passion for the sweeping vineyards and oak studded hillside of the wine country. Take a look at his collection, and you can see how accurately he draws the distinct colors of the land, from season to season, portraying the land and the vines we're all surrounded by.
You can view his entire collection at Gallery 1870 in Yountiville.
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